A Matter of Life and Death
by singdiva1994
Summary: Bella and Emmett, twins, have been attacked and injured. When Bella wakes in the hospital she is invited to live with the Cullens. AH/AU Maybe some lemons along the way...
1. Chapter 1

_**(A/n: Hey this is Diva posting a new story for the first time in a little while. I am very bad about keeping my stories going because I am very bad about updating...I will start this story in a similar way as I did The Power of Two, and have the first few chapters written. You can't force imagination and I am hoping that switching between the two stories will appease my boredom. I'm counting on both of these to keep me on my toes, so I am going to start with a little chapter for this story. I have been reading all of these witness protection stories and most of them are pretty good, so I decided I wanted to do my own version of this and mix it up a little bit. I really like the ideas that the other authors have come up with, but none of the stories ended like I would have ended them. While this kept me on my toes, it makes me want to do it my own way. **_

_**I'm sorry for rambling on, but I felt like I needed to get that out there. I am going to be traveling back and forth a lot for softball practices on the weekends, so I will have more time to write and I can post in intervals throughout the week, so no one gets bored! **_

_**I'm super excited and I hope you guys like this. I know that I said that most of the stories like this are good, but don't take my word for it, go look for yourself. I will try to post a few on my favorites, but I can tell you that most of them are from writers that are really good at keeping the characters true to their personalities, something that is a little challenging for me.)**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, it belongs to Stephanie Meyer.**_

My eyes opened to a fuzzy, white light. I couldn't remember where I was. This room, painted with a light jade green, was unfamiliar to me. My eyes opened further and I looked around futilely for my parents. I knew my eyes would not find purchase, but that didn't stop my from hoping that it had all been a bad dream. I did, however, glance upon a very muscular boy sitting in a wheelchair to my left. I looked up at this familiar face, the face of my twin, but made no expression. Maybe if I said nothing, kept my hope to wake up from this terrible dream, I would. My mom, dad, brother and I could live happily ever after.

"Bella! You're awake." My twin, Emmett, looked very pleased and called the nurse in.

I waited while the nurse checked my vitals and talked to me about what further treatment I would receive before my discharge. I said nothing to this woman. I stared at the wall and waited for her to leave.

She eventually left, muttering about teenagers and being difficult. After she left, Emmett rolled closer to me and started talking, sensing what I needed and wanted without actually being told. It was something he had always been good at and I appreciated it. I especially appreciated that he was doing this while he was hurt. Above his eyebrow was a set of stitches and some dark, nasty bruising. Once I woke up I would go and talk to him about how much I loved him and appreciated him.

"Bells, say something to me. Do you understand me?" When I only nodded, Emmett frowned, "Bella are you in pain?" I only shook my head.

"I'm going to get the doctor and have him check on you." Emmett turned and rolled to the wall across from my bed, pressing the red button, that I assumed indicated that a doctor was needed.

As Emmett rolled over, I got to see his injuries and it broke my heart to see that he had a cast on his leg in addition to the facial injuries.

Shortly after Emmett returned to my side, the doctor came in. He was tall, blonde, and absolutely gorgeous. Emmett never released my hand and that was a good thing because, the moment this man walked into the room I cringed. This made me loose my breath. My ribs burned with the effort, but it didn't matter. I hadn't ever seen him before so I saw him as a threat. I cowered into Emmett. When the doctor saw this, he held his hands up and warm smile on his face.

"My name is Dr. Cullen. I'm the one that operated on your leg and set your ribs." I looked down, and sure enough, there was an outline of a brace beneath my sheets. A heart-breaking smile appeared on the man's face and it made me relax slightly. I relinquished my grip on my brother and allowed him to lay me back down on my hospital bed. I didn't let go of his hand, because it was too much of a comfort to pass up. The doctor took another step closer and I flinched away from him out of instinct. My ribs were burning and I was feeling worse by the second. I never took my eyes off of the doctor in front of me despite the black spots that were beginning to form in my peripheral vision. My fear was greater than my pain, so much greater that I didn't even mind the burning in my stomach, so long as the man in front of me halted his approach.

"He's the good guy, Bella." Emmett said to me, "He won't hurt you. I wouldn't let him anywhere near you if I thought he would. I could take him anyway." Emmett winked at me.

I was touched with Emmett's statement and I returned to my position on my bed, not letting my twin let go of me. The doctor came a little closer, "I am going to remove your IV, Bella. You might want to look away." I held out my right arm, shaking. I turned to Emmett and he knew just what to do in that moment. His hand let go of mine, but soon after, his arms were wrapped around my body lightly. I put my face in his shoulder and trembled. I felt a hand brace my wrist and my arms tightened around Emmett. I just wanted to be released.

I felt a sharp pain and then I was freed. I scooted back toward Emmett. I was shaking hard, my ribs screamed in protest.

A band-aid came down on my arm and with a few soft strokes on the top of my back Emmett managed to calm me down. I felt wide awake as Dr. Cullen talked to me, "I'm glad you're awake. It is Thursday and I want to release you tomorrow. Since Emmett has already been discharged and prescribed crutches, he's okay to leave. After fitting you for a wheelchair, you too will be released. The only question is where you'll go.

"Since you are minors, I cannot allow you to leave without a legal guardian. Emmett and I have talked a little while and after he explained your situation I realized that I will have to call child services. Since they are notoriously slow on getting appointments on these types of matters, I would like to offer you an invitation to stay with my family and me. It would be only until child services arrived and it would be better than spending the weekend here on a couch. What do you think?"

"That is very generous of you." Emmett looked up at the doctor, "We don't want to be a bother."

"It's really no problem. I've come to like you over the past few days, Emmett, and the love you've shown your sister inspires me." Dr. Cullen looked at me and spoke, "He didn't leave your side, unless we made him." He turned back to Emmett. "We have spare bedrooms for when my nieces and nephews stay with us, so it wouldn't be a bother. We already have two kids, so food isn't an issue."

"What do you think, Bella." Emmett turned to me. I nodded at the wall and pulled one side of my face into a smile. It probably looked pathetic, but it didn't really matter. None of this was real. I would wake up to my bedroom at home any second.

Emmett frowned at me and then addressed the doctor, "We would really love that. Thank you so much for offering us a place to stay. Why isn't Bella talking?"

"It's no problem. About Bella, well, I want to watch Bella the next few days and make sure that we have cared for her correctly and see improvement. I think Bella might have a common form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It doesn't surprise me one bit and after it has run it's course, I have no doubt that Bella will be able to run a normal life." Carlisle smiled at me. "We may not see any improvements immediately, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure you are on the right track for recovery. I'll leave you to yourselves for now. I'm sure you have some things to talk about."

I nodded and looked at my hands as I twiddled my thumbs. Since Emmett's arm was still wrapped around me, I leaned into him and closed my eyes.

Carlisle only smiled at my brother and I before he left.

"Why won't you talk, Bella?" My heart broke as I heard my brother speak. I wondered if he would be this nice in real life?

I didn't speak and Emmett withdrew his hands from around my body, finding my face. He stroked my cheek and I bet that my eyes could open to see his worried expression.

I didn't say anything for the rest of the afternoon. I didn't watch television. I just waited for my body to wake from this terrible dream. I thought back to what had happened a few days ago.

_I parked my truck in the driveway and got out. I fiddled with the key in the door and sighed. This stupid door was always giving me trouble. _

_I finally got through the door only to hear the strangest noise ever. I walked into the laundry room turning on the light. I'd started a wash this morning before I'd left so I turned the knob on the dryer starting it again as I walked in the house. _

_I went back to my room, noticing that my mom and dad had left their light on this morning. It sounded like someone was home. That was weird. My mom and dad never came home early. I normally had dinner on the table before they got in. I yelled, "Emmett?" Maybe football practice had been canceled or something. That makes a little sense. He must be looking for something in mom and dad's room. _

_I sat my bags down and walked back down the hallway toward their room. "Hey Emmett!" I called, "Was practice canceled or some..." I trailed off. I had caught a sight of a person in the room. _

"_I've been waiting for you, Isabella. It's so nice of you to finally join me." The monster was in the center of my parents' bed, waiting for his moment to strike._

I pulled myself from the revere and shook my head to clear it. I didn't want to think about that nightmare. It had never happened. I would wake up from this dream soon and it would all be behind me.

"Bella! Are you listening to me?" Emmett's voice was worried, "I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes. I just want to know if you are in pain."

I shook my head and continued staring at the wall. It ended up being a long night. I didn't sleep and thought that maybe if I stayed conscience, I would be pulled out of this scary dream.

It was now Friday morning and I had not slept. My eyes burned, but I stayed awake. Dr. Cullen walked into the room and saw my face, "You look a little white, Bella, are you feeling well this morning?"

I nodded and just looked at the wall.

Emmett was sleeping in a chair, my hand still in both of his.

"May I come closer and see how your ribs are doing?" Dr. Cullen questioned me.

I paused and then nodded. I would have to get this over with soon, it might as well be now. Dr. Cullen approached me slowly and hesitantly raised his hands. Going slowly, he unbuttoned the front of my hospital gown. I just laid back and trembled. As he touched, my stomach I flinched and held my breath.

"Your ribs are a little swollen. Do they hurt?" Dr. Cullen continued to lightly grace my lower ribs.

I shook my head and tried my hardest to keep in my tears. By the time the doctor had finished, my tears were running down the side of my face. When he began re-buttoning my gown, I let out my breath.

He looked up at me and his satisfied expression turned horrified, "Bella, I'm sorry, but I had to check to make sure your ribs were doing okay. I didn't mean to upset you."

I shied away from him and let out a sob that sounded pathetic even in this half-awake state. He hadn't hurt me, but I still felt pain. I was scared. I was suddenly scooped up into a pair of arms and I let out a sob. A woman held me in her arms and I continued to cry.

It only made me cry harder when I realized that this woman wasn't my mom. I would never see her again. No. I would see her again. This was only a dream. I was dreaming.

I hugged the woman closer for a moment and then I let her go, feeling more tired than I had before. I looked at her beautiful face and it was a vision of sadness. She sat next to me on the bed and wiped the tears from under my eyes, "Hello little Bella. I'm Esme. Carlisle here is my husband." Esme gestured back to Dr. Cullen, "He said that you guys had accepted our invitation and that you could leave the hospital today." Her voice was gentle and sort of hypnotizing, "Would you like that honey?"

I nodded fervently. I hugged her again and a few more tears fell. I had missed this human contact. I had Emmett, yes, but I didn't have a mom anymore. It wasn't as if I had ever needed my mother. I had always been the independent child, the opposite of Emmett, who was a "momma's boy" to the core.

Now, all I needed was a mom, and here one was being offered. I wasn't stupid enough to pass it up. Not even when I was in this stupid dream.

"Now before we can leave, Carlisle is going to take a look at your knee and were going to have to get some paperwork done. Alright?" Esme asked. When I nodded, she continued, "We're going to go home then and I'm going to fix you anything you want to eat. Do you like the sound of that?"

I nodded enthusiastically. I smiled up at her and her face went a little blurry. I yawned. She kissed my forehead, "I bet you're tired. Go to sleep, Bella, and when you wake up, we'll be all ready to leave." She reached over and turned off my light and my eyelids sagged. I fell asleep before I knew what hit me.

When I woke up I heard voices, "It'll be okay Emmett, Bella will talk again soon. Many of my PTSD patients recover within months. Sometimes it takes years, but I've only ever seen that with the patients who experience amnesia. Speech patients normally bounce back, but just don't expect it tomorrow or for it to happen all at once. It's going to be hard and you're going to have to stay strong. Don't pressure her to talk and don't make a big fuss. Give her a little while to feel what she's feeling. After a week or so, when she's sorted it all out, I'll make sure child services knows her need for a therapist. As her doctor, I can recommend a good one and they'll have no choice but to have Bella go to them instead of whatever crappy one they would have sent her to. You guys better go on home and get some food. I bet Bella will be starving."

"She didn't sleep at all last night. She just sat there and stared at the wall. Is that right? Is that supposed to happen?" Emmett's voice was streaked with worry.

"Well, Emmett," Dr. Cullen's voice said, "All rape victims react differently. Some people never go back to normal and some people recover quickly. There are a million shades of gray in between those two options, so there's no telling how quickly she will recover. All you can do is support her and be strong for her. Like I said, it's going to be hard, but you can do it. It's possible.

"All the paperwork is done. I'll trust you can wake her without scaring her, Emmett. I'll be back with the wheelchair I've ordered. Esme, honey, you can stay here with Emmett. Bella seems to like you. It'll be good for her to have a motherly figure, if only for a little while."

Time passed and the paper work was filed. The nurse had helped me settle into a wheelchair and Dr. Cullen pushed me through the door. I began to worry and looked around for my brother, who had gone to be fitted for crutches. I frantically tried to stand up only to be pushed down by the hand of my twin. I sighed in relief and sank back into the chair. I heard the comforting murmurs coming from him, but they just floated above me, not meaning anything. I looked over to see him, looking down at me, worried, from the tall height at which he stood. The extra tall crutches were quite comical, but not one smile came to my face. I kept it an empty slate, reminding myself how much I truly loved my brother.

We left the hospital without much more delay and before I knew it, I was in a black Mercedes, pulling up to a huge mansion. I was helped out of the car and into a wheelchair by Dr. Cullen and wheeled up to the house. After maneuvering my wheelchair up the stairs, I was rolled into the most beautiful room I'd ever seen. While I looked around, my face showed no emotion, contrasting to my mind which was amazed at the view before me.

"This is my home." Dr. Cullen said to my brother and me, "I will give you the tour of the bottom floor. This is where your bedrooms will be. I thought we'd better keep you down here, for wheelchair accessibility. Let's go to the living room. I think the rest of my family is waiting for us."

As I was rolled into the next room, I caught the sight of the most beautiful family in existence. Esme walked past us into the room and introduced everyone, "These are my kids, Edward and Alice." A beautiful boy and girl around my age smiled at us.

"It's nice to meet you." The girl, Alice, said to me, "We're going to be good friends."

I looked down at my hands again, not knowing what to do.

Emmett came to my rescue, "Bella's just a little shy. She'll come around. I'm Emmett and thank you all for having us. You don't know how much Bella and I appreciate it. Don't we Bella?"

I nodded, still not looking up. I just wanted to run and hide, not be introduced to strangely beautiful people in an equally beautiful house.

"Bella has a run of post-traumatic stress disorder." Emmett explained, "She'll start talking again soon, won't you Bella." Emmett questioned me like I was a child who had done something wrong. The tone of his voice upset me and made me feel like I was an imbecile.

Tears came to my eyes and I hung my head even lower than before. I was acting like a child, but I was still 16 and deserved to be treated better. I didn't make a sound as they spilled over, but kept my head down and looked at my hands which were blurry through my tears. It embarrassed me that Emmett could upset me like this, and that I was crying in public. Even in this dream, it was mortifying.

"Oh shit." Emmett whispered as his face fell. "I'm sorry Bella, don't cry. I didn't mean it." He managed to kneel even with his giant crutches and grabbed my hand. By the time he kissed the side of my face, he was already forgiven. I didn't want to be mad, but only let him know that what he'd said had made me sad and upset.

I kept my head down, hoping to stay out of the conversation. The tears still fell from my eyes, as my body realized how much pain I was in. My ribs burned and I had began to feel a dull ache when it came to my knee. My hands moved up to my ribs and I tried to control my heavy breathing. I looked up at Emmett, who had stood up, and kept my hands on my ribs, making no move to brush my tears away.

Esme saw this and she quickly came over to me. With hands on either side of my face, she spoke to me, "Are you in pain? Can I get you something for it?"

I nodded at her and she turned to her son, "Edward, honey, could you go get the bottle of Advil from the bathroom while I get Bella and Emmett something to take them with?"

Edward replied with a "sure" and ran upstairs two at a time. I must have looked pitiful. I was wheeled into the kitchen backward and a tall glass of ice water was placed in my hand soon after that. Emmett was beside me as Edward came back into the room. The kitchen was large, but it still had no room for the space I wanted between Edward and I. While he had been nice to me, I still didn't know who he was. I backed my wheelchair as far as I could in the corner and shielded my face. I didn't want Edward to approach me, but my heart sank as he walked toward Emmett and I and handed the bottle to Emmett.

Emmett took two pills from the bottle and tried to kneel down again. Esme would not have that and insisted Edward help me. Edward opened his hand and spilled two out, holding them out to me. I tried to push myself even farther back into my seat, cringing away from him.

"She's not very fond of men yet Edward. I apologize." Emmett turned to me, "Quit being silly, Bella. Edward is your doctor's son. He isn't going to hurt you." His voice softened, "I promise. You can trust him, now hold your hand out." Emmett frowned at my actions and I felt ashamed once again.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to scare you. My name is Edward and I swear I didn't spike your Advil." As I looked up at him he winked. I smiled, a real, somewhat shy smile, up at him and held my hand out for the pills. I tried not to blush, but it was imminent.

I took the pills he gave me and chased them down with water. I already felt a little better, now that I was less tense. I drank the rest of the water given to me by Esme. She asked if I would like another glass and I nodded. I half smiled up at her in thanks and drank the rest of that glass too. Esme asked me if I wanted another glass, but this time I shook my head.

"Thank you." Emmett told her and smiled down at me, ruffling my hair. I found myself patting my hair back down before I realized it didn't matter. Soon I would wake up from my dream and have to fix it again.

"Are you guys hungry for dinner? I've had Edward fix pasta." I nodded to Esme's words, sensing my twin's excitement. It had probably been a while since he'd eaten. Even if it hadn't, the smell coming from the stove was enough to do him in. Emmett had never been one to skip meals.

We were moved into the dining room and Edward pulled out the chair that would have been mine and Esme rolled me up to the table. Emmett didn't hesitate to sit beside me. Emmett hadn't always been taller than me, but now that he'd grown into a man, our heights were separated by feet instead of inches. If that weren't bad enough, my wheelchair sat lower to the ground than did the dining room chairs. This stupid chair made me look tiny and frail. Too bad those were probably the best words to describe me at the time.


	2. Chapter 2

_**(A/n: Chapter 2!)**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

Dinner tasted amazing. Emmett was through with his first plate before I had taken my third bite. The other table's occupants had eaten a little faster than I had, but they were still long behind Emmett, who had been invited to have a second serving. I quietly ate my food and let Emmett talk to the family, nodding when appropriate.

"Bella and I are twins. I was born first though. I am a whole five minutes older than this chick." Emmett knew just what I needed then. He realized that being upset with me wasn't helping me to speak. It mattered not. I didn't want to speak. This wasn't real and I would stay silent until I recovered my reality. Until I knew that I was awake, not one word would grace my lips.

It was hard to eat then. With Emmett being so nice and my ribs hurting I was doing all I could not to cry. I wished the medicine would kick in more quickly. Emmett was telling them our intrests and things we liked to do.

"I like to play baseball and I am definitely a Red Sox fan." Emmett smiled, "I remember when I first started playing, Bella got mad at me because she couldn't sit with me. We were inseperable at that age and had never been apart for very long. Bella came to every single game I played that year." Emmett laughed at the memory, "When I was at practice, she stayed home with my mom. She and mom cooked everything imaginable. They used to always make these fresh cheesecake tarts that melted in your mouth. I loved it when they made those because the crust would just fall apart in your hands. It was made completely from scratch and the tart filling was topped with strawberry pie filling that they cooked too. It was the best thing to eat after practice because it wasn't time for dinner, but I would be hungry." Emmett turned to me, "Do you remember how to make those still, Bella?"

I smiled up at him, forgetting my sadness for once, and nodded. I pictured cooking in the kitchen with my mother and it brought tears to my eyes. I looked down and studied my hands, trying to abate the tears. Crying in front of this family made my heart break. They were so concerned and I couldn't even thank them properly. I leaned my head against Emmett, looking up at him sadly with tears in my eyes. Emmett kissed my forehead and murmured, "I know, Bella. We can talk about it tonight when we go to bed."

I smiled at him and he kissed my head again. He turned to Edward and began talking about what baseball teams were their favorites. This gave me a chance to study each of them. I around to the person on the other side of Emmett.

Since the round table was fairly large, Dr. Cullen who sat to Emmett's right was visable. He was joining in the conversation and he looked like a fairly happy man. Apart from his beauty, he was kind. Inviting two orphans into your home was a true act of kindness that I wouldn't be able to get over. I would always be thankful for this.

Esme, with her long brown hair and deep widow's peak, was a vision of beauty. She had been so sweet to me since she'd met me. I found myself wishing that I could stay here forever. I realized that a rare sight was before me and that I would miss it if I didn't open my eyes. It was not every day that true kindness was shown.

My gaze drifted over to Edward. This boy, who I now know was my age, was not an exception to this family's pattern of attractiveness. He, however, was beautiful in a different way. It was the small things about him that made him beautiful. The way his copper hair twisted up in a cowlick at the top of his head, the way he smiled at me crookedly, and the way he presented himself were the main contributions.

I turned once more to look at Alice. Alice looked pretty short, but the spikeyness of her hair made up for it. She was very knowledgeable of almost every conversation that came up. Her energy and stubborness was a force to be reckoned with. When her brother hadn't set the table correctly, she'd made him do it over. That, aside from looking like a super model, was Alice in a nutshell.

This whole family was fasinating and I found myself wishing I could stay here for a while.

Dinner was over and I was feeling better. Even though I hadn't had much, the pills were kicking in and I felt more relaxed. I liked that no one had made me feel uncomfortable or self-conscience. They spoke to me in questions I could answer wordlessly. A nod or shake of the head was all they needed to continue the conversation and it was touching that they including me. I still felt the need to stay near Emmett, but if he needed to leave my side for a second to go to the bathroom or stretch his bad leg, I could survive.

It was time for us to turn in for the night and I was pushed into a room. "This is your room Emmett." Dr. Cullen showed Emmett. Emmett sat his crutches down and plopped on the bed that he would be staying in.

We were going to have to seperate.

I very nearly cried on the spot. I didn't want Emmett to leave me yet. I wanted the security and comfort that he brought.

I kept the tears back and let Emmett borrow some of Edward's pyjamas without interuption. When it was time to go find my room, Emmett came with me, and for that I was thankful. I borrowed some of Alice's sweats and a long-sleeved t-shirt of Edward's. I didn't want to look down and find bruises, so I would cover myself. Emmett had asked Dr. Cullen for these things and he had been very compliant with our requests.

When it was time to go to bed, I was suddenly scared. I didn't want to be left alone and I just grasped Emmett's hand and squeesed as hard as I could. Emmett came to whisper to me. "We won't be seperated forever. I'm going to go put my pyjamas on and if Alice or Esme hasn't helped you into yours then I will. I will be back in five minutes to check on you reguardless. Is that okay?"

I let go of Emmett's hand and he walked out of the room after kissing my head. I began to sit up from my position on the bed. I threw my bad leg over the side of the bed and began to get up. I stood on my right leg, making sure I could balance before I put all my weight on it. This was going to be tricky. A knock came at my door and I quickly sat down and waited for someone to come in.

Alice walked in the room and smiled, "Do you want some help? I know mom or Emmett could help you, but that would be awkward."

I smiled and nodded up at her. She held her hand out and I used it to pull myself up, letting her take some of my weight. She looked away as my legs were uncovered. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate it, but it also made me a little sad. A normal girl with these injuries wouldn't need this help, but I guess their ribs weren't broken either. Alice placed the hand that balanced me on her shoulder and reached down to help put my leg in the sweats. I sat down on the bed and did the same with my good leg, only to stand up once again to pull them all the way on. This grueling task had been a little more than I'd expected. It took energy, something I was low on right now, especially since today had been so exciting. As I pulled my shirt over my head, Emmett walked into the room.

"Are you ready for bed, Belly-bean?" Emmett laughed.

I frowned up at him.

Alice's reaction was similar to Emmett's, "That's a really cute name. Too bad Bella dosen't like it."

I smiled at them and moved myself back to lay on my pillows. The rest of the night went without consequence and Emmett stayed with me. There were no comments heard on this subject and no one said anything when Emmett and I were in the same room. When I woke up throughout the night, from nightmares or needing to go to the bathroom, Emmett was there to take care of me.

That morning when I woke up I felt refreshed. I felt the large presence of Emmett next to me and smiled. He had been true to his word, not leaving me for a second. I smiled at this and rotated myself enough to sit up. My legs hung off the bed and I moved (clumsily) into my wheelchair. Even though it took me a while to situate myself, I finally got in the chair and out my bedroom door which was conviently open.

I rolled into the kitchen and breathed in deeply. I smiled in appreciation. None other than Edward stood in front of the grittle, making chocolate chip pancakes. I rolled up next to him and craned my neck to see the process.

He finally noticed me and smiled, "Would you like some pancakes?"

I nodded, smiling.

"You like chocolate chips right? If you don't, I can make some without." Edward looked worried, but smiled when I took the plate he held out to me. I sat it on my lap and wheeled into the big table in their dining room.

Edward, in a gentlemanly fashion, once again pulled a chair out to make room for the wheelchair I was in. I opened my mouth to thank him and stopped myself before I could. I had almost forgotten my reason for not talking. I would wait to talk until I was in the real world. This wasn't reality...

I ate my pancakes and smiled at their wonderful taste. The combination of syrup and chocolate was amazing. At my smile, Edward began talking.

"I'm glad you like them. Emmett mentioned that you used to eat these and I thought it might make you feel better. I noticed you didn't eat much of your dinner last night, so I thought fixing something you liked would have you eat more." Edward smiled down at my almost empty plate, "I guess I was correct."

I smiled and finished my plate. I licked my lips and savored the flavor.

Edward served me another pancake and smiled, "Eat. The smile on your face when you taste it is too much to pass up."

I slowly ate the pancake and when I finished, I sat back in contentment. Edward got up and took our plates, "Do you like orange juice?"

I nodded and he fixed two glasses. He handed me one and drank the other, "I like to watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. I normally watch them by myself since I'm the only one that wakes up, but if you want you can watch them with me." It felt like we were in the fourth grade and he was offering me one of his toys to play with.

I looked him in the eye and nodded, smiling. He wheeled me into the living room and stopped my chair in front of the couch. It surprised me when he lifted me from my chair and sat me on the couch. I smiled up at him and realized that I felt warm. I felt safe. Once he sat me down, he sat next to me and turned on the television. I was not as nervous to be around him now that I knew he could be trusted. I watched Tom and Jerry chase each other around the room. Tom and Jerry didn't talk, but they used their actions to show how they felt.

"You're Jerry." Edward said to me.

I gave him a confused look and he explained, "You don't talk, but we never wonder what you're saying. You are clear about what you want. There is a big monster on your back, like the cat, Tom, but you are strong and you fight it. The only thing I can't understand is why you don't talk. I know it is a defense mechanism for your body and mind, but I still don't understand it."

I looked away from him and down at my hands.

"I didn't mean to upset you Bella. I just wanted to tell you what I was thinking." Edward pulled my chin up, "Don't you dare cry, or I swear I will go get some more of those pancakes, just to see that pretty smile."

I tried not to smile, but it was inevitable. I shyly smiled at him and his face lit up, "There it is."

The moment was sweet, but there was a slight problem. Edward and I were the only ones up and I had to use the bathroom...Crap.

My wheelchair was too far away. I didn't want to bother Edward, but the sudden urge to use the bathroom was too great. I had to get into my chair and get to the restroom and soon. I began to use my good foot to scoot across the couch toward my chair.

"Need some help there?" Edward asked me.

I nodded and he picked me up for a second time and I was back in my chair. I began rolling myself toward the bathroom. If I did this correctly, I could manuver in a way that wouldn't require much help from Edward. Edward, as expected, followed me. I stopped in front of the bathroom and Edward asked nervously, "Do you need help?"

I honestly felt bad for nodding, but I had no other option. Everyone else was asleep. I would not disturb my new family and I had been up all night with Emmett, who barley got any sleep. I didn't want to disturb him again, so Edward was my only option left. Edward helped me out of my chair and walked around to face me. Once he was standing in from of me, he made to grab my waist, but I flinched away. Suddenly the whole thing came back to me: why I was in a wheelchair, why I was in this house, why I even _knew_ the man in front of me. The flashback of _his_ hands gripping my waist, making bruises came to my mind and I immidiately sat back down and rolled backward a few feet. _This was not real. That never happened. I've never seen that man. This was not real._

"I didn't mean to scare you, Bella. I'm sorry." Edward took a step back and his hands went up into the air in retreat.

Tears came to my eyes and I hung my head. I couldn't even go to the bathroom without difficulty. I looked up and saw the look of pure remorse on his face and it was then that my heart broke into a million pieces.


	3. Chapter 3

_**(A/n: Chapter 3)**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

He walked slowly toward me, hands still raised. I let him get close to me and he finally put his hands down and knelt by my wheelchair. "Come on. Let's get you into the bathroom and then we can go wake up Emmett and talk to him."

I didn't try to hide the tears as Edward helped me stand once again. I was nearly sobbing as he stood me up. Poor Edward didn't know what to do and when Edward got me standing, I placed one hand on his shoulder and used him for support. I let my arms circle around this man's neck. I put my face into his shoulder. His hands lightly grazed my back, never pushing or moveing, but letting me use him as I needed. He rubbed my back and reminded me, "Bella, you need to go to the bathroom now and when you are done, we can go sit down and talk a little. Is that okay, love?"

I nodded and his arms came around me in a hug. He lifted me in this hug and situated me in front of the toilet in the bathroom. After kissing my forehead, he looked at me questioningly.

I patted Edward on the shoulder and he replied, "Knock when you're finished." and left.

I could hear him waiting outside, so I flipped on the fan so he couldn't hear me. Maybe it was insecurity, but it just seemed gross for him to listen.

When I was finished and decent, I washed my hands and knocked on the door. Edward held out his hand and helped me sit back in my chair. He pushed me back into my room and Emmett was still sleeping soundly. I tapped Edward's hand and made a "shh" sign at him. He smiled and wheeled me right back out of the room.

Edward moved us back to the couch to watch cartoons and I began to get drowsy. My head found the bone of Edward's shoulder and before I knew what was going on, I was asleep once more. This sleep, it was peaceful and dreamless, unlike the sleep that I had been plagued with the night before. That sleep had been filled with nightmares and restlessness.

When I woke, my body was laying down and my head was on Edward's lap. While I'd only slept an hour, I felt refreshed. It would have been perfect if not for the burning ache of my injuries. I whined and squirmed, placing my hand on my stomach.

"I was thinking ahead and got you some Advil. Sit up and I'll give it to you." Edward's voice came from above the haze that was my mind. I squeezed my eyes closed and then opened them wide. Sure enough, Edward had a little blue and white bottle in his hand. I put my hands behind me and pushed up as hard as I could. Edward, thankfully, helped me into a sitting position, and then handed me two blue pills. I took them with the water that he handed me shortly after. After that, I leaned back into the couch. I wanted to lay back down, but I didn't think that would be appropriate, even if I had the energy to do so. I was breathing hard and the deepness of my breath was hurting my already burning ribs.

"Your ribs must really hurt. Emmett told me that they'd been broken in three places. He didn't tell me how. I didn't want to know anyway, not until you tell me, if you tell me that is." Edward began talking, "If you want to lay back down, I can help you. I don't mind. We could keep watching cartoons."

I nodded and thanked my lucky stars that he asked. I didn't want to just plop right back down and have him uncomfortable.

When I was laying down again, I used my good leg to pull up my bad one. My whole body was on the couch and Edward and I watched another Tom & Jerry. I sat my head on his leg once more, but I just couldn't seem to get comfortable. I had shifted and moved for the third time when Edward's arms came around me. He lifted my frail body from the couch and layed down with me. He put my head on his chest and his head was on the arm rest. While we watched, Edward began petting my hair like I was a little doll. To be honest, I might have looked like a doll, if dolls had big knee braces and wheelchairs.

It was getting to be eight o'clock when I heard the sound of Emmett's crutches on the wood, heading in our direction.

As he hurried in the living room, I saw his worried face collapse in relief when he saw me.

"Bella! I was worried that you'd tried to get up by youself and fallen. I'm glad you're okay. You should have woken me up." Emmett gushed.

I just shook my head and smiled up at Edward. He smiled back. Emmett strolled over in front of us, placed a kiss on the top of my head and walked into the kitchen. I heard, "Sweet! Pancakes!" and the silent laughter that shook through my body pained my ribs. I cringed and immidiately stopped laughing. I gave Edward a little smile to let him know I was okay. This barley appeased his worried expression, but he smiled back at me all the same. The comfort he brought was weird, but I really liked him. There were many things Edward had done for me, but it had been the pancakes that had won me over.

Emmett came back into the room and Edward looked troubled. Edward looked back and forth between me and my twin, going back and forth in an internal debate. I gave him a confused look and tilted my head slightly to the right. He looked over at my brother, who was completely intranced by the pancakes, and then scooted down to whisper in my ear, "Do I tell your brother that you had a little episode this morning?"

I didn't want to worry Emmett...My eyes softly begged my new friend to keep quiet. I shook my head and continued my pleading. Soft hands stroked my hair and Edward spoke softly, "Shh. It's okay. Don't cry." I hadn't even noticed the tears welling up. I guess that was just a part of me now.

The hands that were once on my hair wiped under my eyes. My tears were gone and it felt good to just laze around the house.

After all of the others were up and had eaten their pancakes, I sat up, leaving room for someone else to sit next to me. I could swear I saw a little disappointment on Edward's face as he sat up with me, but I didn't indicate that I knew. I smiled at him and he bumped my shoulder with his. This made my smile bigger. I heard a familiar voice clear their throat and my head shot up to look at Emmett who looked less than pleased to see Edward next to me, flirting.

I was being a bad sister again. I wouldn't talk, yet I allowed myself to have fun and relax. I didn't want to make everyone feel bad by being nice to only Edward, so I made a pact that I would resume my expressionless facade to please everyone. I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I scooted away from Edward and dropped my smile. I watched in the corner of my eye as Edward turned to see what was wrong. I felt bad for returning to this, but it was better for me anyway. I would return from whatever this dream was soon and getting close to him would only break my heart later anyway. My shoulders slumped and I let my hair fall as a veil between us.

"Did you want to get up again Bella?" Edward asked. The entire room looked over for my response and I shook my head. I could stay here until Emmett decided he was taking me somewhere else. Everyone turned away and finished their breakfast. Edward didn't talk to me again until Emmett decided that he wanted a tour of whole house.

"Carlisle wanted to give me a tour of the upstairs, Bella. Do you mind waiting?" Emmett smiled down at me. I looked up at him expressionlessly and shook my head.

"I'll be right back. You could let Edward get you somemore pancakes."

I shrugged and he frowned, and sat down next to me, whispering, "You were so full of life and happy today when I walked in. Something made you happy and I'm willing to bet it was Edward." His hand pushed my hair behind my ears. "I love you Bella and I'm sure Edward and the rest of the family like you as much as I do. Smile for me, please."

I smiled my half smile and then dropped back to my void.

"Please, Belly-bean. What happened?" Emmett demanded.

I just shook my head and gave him another half smile. He didn't like that answer.

"Dammit, Bella. I love you and I hate to see you like this." Emmett paused, "I can't watch this anymore." He stood and limped off quietly.

I began to move quickly and nearly fell trying to get in the wheelchair so fast. Edward's hands stilled me and he picked me up, placing me in my chair. I pushed back in the direction of the television and then forward in the direction of my room, being careful not to roll over his toes. I rolled all the way down the hall in the opposite direction of Emmett's room and into mine. The tears had already started to fall by the time I'd pushed myself into my room.

My door opened and in came none other than Alice. I would accept her help solely on the face that she wasn't Edward. She helped me sit on my bed and then lay back. Then Alice did what I didn't expect and pulled me into a hug. She held me as I cried and that was when I realized how good this family as to me. They could have invited us over and left us to ourselves, but they didn't and they'd included us as if we were a part of their family.

I hadn't taken the time to think about what I had done this morning. I had spoken to a man and let a man touch me. I had promised myself that no man beside my brother would have a part in my life. They weren't to be trusted.

I cried. I cried out of happiness. I cried out of sorrow. I cried because of the things that had happened. I cried because it was all too real. This whole thing was not a part of my imagination. No. It had all been real. The pain, the violence, the violation, and the helplessness were all real.

This epiphany of sorts did not bring back my speech. This combination of rage and sorrow did not make me want to want to talk to someone. No. It made me want to die.

The trouble was that not all of the tears stemmed from pain and sorrow. Some of them stemmed from the happieness. Some of these tears were tears of thanks for all of the good times I'd had since my life had fallen apart. These good times, all happening in such a short period, made me want to stick around to see what else I could achieve in this life. It made me wonder of the days yet to come and it was then that I knew I couldn't do it. I couldn't take my own life, no matter how many pieces it was in. I would live and I would get better, and I would do it in spite of the awful man who had hurt and violated me. I would live a happy life and that was why I was happy.

I was suddenly tired. I was tired of everything. Tired of crying, tired of being sad. I was tired of being held back, and tired of all the things that stood in my way of the happieness that I would fight for. I was done. I was done crying, so I stopped. I was done pushing people away, so I hugged Alice closer. I was done being selfless, so I was going to spend time with Edward, despite my brother's skeptisism. I was done being defensive, so I was going to let people in. Maybe all these things wouldn't happen at once, but the fact that I believed in myself made all the goals worth while.

_**(A/n: That's all for now.)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**(A/n: Chapter 4!)**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**_

* * *

That night I dropped my expressionless act. I acted happy when I was happy and sad when I was sad. I quit pretending and it was the best day of my life. It broke my heart that I wouldn't get to share it with my parents.

When I had finished crying, I'd smiled up at Alice, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She'd returned the kiss and I'd giggled. "I told you we were going to be friends," She had said to me, "It was only a matter of time. When you get your ribs healed up, you can get on crutches and we can go shopping. Oh! It will be so much fun..." She then trailed off listing the stores that she would take me to once I was better.

"My family really likes you." She said, smiling up at me, still seated next to me, "Especially Edward. I have never seen him cook for anyone besides my mom before, and that's only when she's sick. You really got to him."

I smiled at Alice and opened my mouth. I was trying, but there was just no way I could force myself to speak. I closed my mouth and huffed.

"It's okay, Bella. You'll talk when you have something to say, and I don't mind waiting." Alice's smile turned horrified, "We must get you out of those pajamas. I'll run and get you a better shirt for you to wear."

I frowned and cuddled up to my self, showing that I was comfortable.

"Let me at least get you a better bra. I bet you have been wearing that one for days!" Alice frowned at me.

I looked down and realized how bad of shape my clothes had been. I nodded fervently and Alice disappeared. She came back in the room, pulling a bright pink sports-bra out of her pocket. This made me laugh. She rolled her eyes at me and then flung the bra at me. I caught it and began changing while she got my chair ready for me to get back into. She thought for a second and then took one of the pillows off my bed. She put the pillow on the chair and formed it so I could sit. When I was done changing, she helped me sit in it.

Heaven was the only word I could use to describe this moment. I was so comfortable. Alice asked me, "Ready for lunch?"

I nodded and smiled. With that, we were on our way back to the living room. I glanced at the expensive looking grandfather clock and my eyes widened. It was noon. I had cried in my room for nearly two hours.

I reached a hand to my eyes and felt that they were swollen. Well, despite my swollen eyes, broken ribs, and shattered knee, I was doing all right. When Edward saw me, his face lit up with concern. I smiled a real smile at him and he returned it. The silent exchange was all I needed to see that I was forgiven.

Alice rolled me up to the couch, "Edward, dear brother! You see, Miss. Bella and I have a slight predicament!"

I looked up at her in question and she just gave me a sly smile.

"What would that be, dear sister?" Edward narrowed his eyes at her.

"Bella here, is confined to this wheelchair and cannot walk. This restricts many things that I'm sure she would rather do herself, does it not?" Alice's smile got bigger.

"I suppose it does Alice. Is there something that Miss. Bella needed?" Edward played along.

"Why, now that you mention it, there is!" Alice had him trapped. I just wished I knew her intentions.

"Enlighten me, Alice." Edward's voice was getting exasperated.

"Bella really needs to take a shower. She'll shower in yours since it's the only one with a bath. Bella needs a ride up the stairs." Alice smirked and then winked down at me.

I smiled at Edward and then narrowed my eyes at Alice.

"Is that all? I thought it was going to be something horrible." Edward relaxed.

"Oh, dear brother, that's not all!" Alice smiled slyly again.

"What else does Bella need?" Edward became suddenly curt with her.

"Since Carlisle and Esme went out to look at houses and grocery shop, Bella needs someone to redress her bandage on her ribs and re-wrap her knee. Since neither Emmett nor I know how to do it, it's up to you." Alice smiled.

Shit. This meant that Edward would see my bruises.

"Sure," Edward looked relieved that it wasn't more awkward than that, "I took a first aide course with my father at the hospital a few months ago. They taught us all about sports related injuries. Your knee and ribs just happen to fit in that category, but if you would rather wait for Carlisle to get home I understand."

I smiled and shook my head. Better Edward than Dr. Cullen. My stomach took that moment of silence to make itself known.

Edward smiled, "Why don't we have lunch first? Would you like something to eat, Bella?"

I nodded and began rolling myself in the direction of the kitchen. Edward opened the door for me and I smiled and gave him a nod in thanks.

"I put two pizzas in the oven and they should be about done. I expected someone would be hungry." Edward smiled at us and we waited while the pizzas finished cooking. I pulled the plates off of the counter and onto my lap.

"I was thinking we could all sit at the kitchen table since it's just the four of us." Edward said.

That sounded nice, but there was one small problem with that. The table was really tall and was over my head when I was seated in my wheelchair. I lifted the plates up and sat them on the table blindly. I turned in my wheelchair and raised an eyebrow at the slightly amused looking Edward.

He walked toward me and picked me up gently only to sit me back down in the chair next to him. We were now at eye level. He quickly leaned in and kissed my cheek, darting away quickly to serve the pizzas. That made me blush. I giggled at him and moved our plates around to suit each of us. Edward came up next to me and offered the pizzas to me. I made to serve myself a piece of pepperoni and he stepped back offended, "Now, Miss. Bella, I don't believe your lack of speech allows you to fight off my gentlemanly quirks." He sat the pizza down on the table and served me a piece of pepperoni. I waited until he had served Alice a piece of cheese pizza to begin to situate my napkin on my lap. Emmett came in just as we had all sat down and he joined us.

Edward let Emmett serve himself before finally getting his own piece. We all dug in our food and it was delicious. After three pieces of pizza, served by none other than Edward, I was finally finished. I wiped my mouth with my napkin and sat back just basking in the glory that was a grease-filled stomach.

Emmett, who had eaten twice the amount that I had, finally sat back too, "I'll get the dishes as long as you promise to make that again for Bella and me."

That made me smile. I'm glad Emmett liked it here, even though that would make it really hard to leave when Child Services came. I guess we couldn't worry about that now though.

Emmett let Edward put me back into my now cushioned wheelchair and roll me across the room to the door.

I knew he wanted to leave the kitchen to go ahead and get me upstairs and showered, but he didn't know how to do it without making it look bad to Emmett. Alice finally saved us, "Emmett and I are doing the dishes, and Bella can't just walk up two flights of stairs to take a shower, Edward, get to work!"

I laughed and Edward just rolled his eyes and chuckled. He pushed my wheelchair to the base of the stairs before lifting me from my chair bridal-style. He sat me down on the first step and folded my wheelchair. Once he was done, he moved back to me. He moved my arms around his neck and lifted me up by my outer thighs. I held on to him as he moved to cradle me like he would a sleeping toddler. When he had me situated, he began to climb the stairs.

I pulled back from our embrace to look at his face. The face I saw was a mixture of worry and happiness. I gave him a questioning look and he explained, "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable by carrying you like this, but I'm less likely to loose balance this way. I can carry you the other way if you'd like me to. I really don't mi-" I put one of the hands that had been around his neck on his mouth to silence the needless rambling. I shot him a smile and leaned in to give him a hug. He used the hand not holding me up to hug me back. I pulled back one more time to kiss his cheek.

"We're here, Bella," Edward said a moment later, "I'll just go draw your bath. We can talk while it fills up." He placed me on a black leather couch and then walked into a door on the opposite side of the room.

While he was in the bathroom, no doubt throwing all the dirty clothes he'd most likely left there into a hamper, I looked around his room. His room was large and the furniture arrangement was interesting. A CD shelf lined one complete wall and the stereo was on the adjacent wall. A large bed sat in the corner and the couch I was sitting on was on the same wall, facing a large flat screen that sat above the CD shelf. I was amazed, to say the least.

"Like my room?" Edward's deep voice came out of nowhere and I jumped. After getting over the initial shock and checking to make sure I didn't wet myself, I smiled at him and nodded.

Edward just laughed and said, "Let's go."

I was brought into the bathroom and sat on the counter. He came and stood next to me, another worried expression came on his face, "I don't know how we're going to this. I better call Alice up here to help you."

I shook my head and spoke softly, "I have nothing to hide anymore. He took what was left of my innocence."

Edward's expression turned amazed and then quickly turned horrified. Before I knew what had happened I was in his arms. He picked me up once again and let the water continue filling up in the bath while taking me out of the room.

"As far as I'm concerned, Bella, you have every bit of innocence that you had before you and your brother went through what you did. I may not know exactly what happened, but even the little pieces of information that I have gathered tell me that you were raped. So, Bella, you are wrong. Your virginity isn't something that can be stolen by rape. It's something you choose to give and only when you choose to give it does it go away." Edward now had us seated on the couch and his thumb stroked my cheek while it lay on his chest beneath his shoulder.

I wrapped my arms around him. This is what I should have felt like the first time, or at least part of it. I felt safe. This thought made me pull him closer and just let go of what I was feeling. I cried, not being able to let go of that little broken part of my heart.

Edward held me and shushed me, rubbing my back. Ten minutes later my tears had stopped and Edward kept rubbing my back. It took me a second to figure out why it was so quiet all of a sudden. The bath had turned itself off. Rich people and their expensive appliances. I rolled my eyes and let out a little huff of a laugh before I hugged Edward once more time. I looked into his eyes and smiled. He lifted me once more. We went into the bathroom once more and he took out his cell phone.

He waited and then spoke into the phone, "Alice, I'm going to take off Bella's bandages, but she needs help getting in and back out. Also, I don't have any shampoo for women in my shower. Could you bring the girly things that Bella might need?...Thanks Alice."

He hung up the phone, "Well that was easy. Let's see that knee of yours." His hands traced the bottom of my sweatpants, looking up to make sure that it was okay with me, and then he pulled it up over my knee. He gently pulled the velcro straps off and slid the brace down my knee.

"Do you want me to rip this off quickly, so it hurts less?" Edward looked at my knee bandage apprehensively.

I nodded and turned away. One hand held the edge of the gauze and the other held the tape. I looked away as he yanked all three pieces of tape at once. I gritted my teeth in pain.

"Sorry Bella. That was the worst part I promise." Edward leaned down and kissed the angry, red skin on the outside of my knee. Before I knew what had happened, Edward ripped the other side off, kissing that skin lightly also. "We're done now. My dad dosen't want anything to get into your stitches, so I feel like I should wrap it in plastic for your bath."

I shook my head. That tape would hurt less if I shaved my legs.

"Okay. I'll make sure Alice knows not to get it wet. I should probably look at your ribs after you've showered, so I'll leave you alone on that for now." Edward changed the subject, "You talked talk to me."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Why?" Edward asked

I shrugged my shoulders once more. I'd had something to say.

"Well, aside from the obvious fact that I diagree with what you said, your voice is beautiful. You should use it more often." Edward made me blush.

I was sitting on the counter, suddenly intrested in the way the lights in this room made my toe nails look shiny.

Edward's finger tips brushed underneath my chin and the suprise made me forget that I had been embarassed. I looked up to him and our eyes locked. His eyes flickered down to my lips and back up. He began to close the distance between us. Our foreheads were almost touching when—

"BELLA!"

Edward jumped back as Alice strutted through the door. His eyes were wide and recovered himself in front of Alice, "I'll leave you girls to it then. If you need me, Bella, I'll be right outside in my room." He turned to Alice, "Alice, no water in those stitches." Edward looked back at me, " Just knock and I'll be right here."

I smiled at him and blushed as he left. Thank goodness Alice came in when she did! Speaking of Alice...

I turned to look at her and she raised an eyebrow. "So, Edward..."

I just shook my head and smirked. Okay, so maybe I blushed a little too...sue me.

"Okay. I won't ask, but I'm not going to pretend that I didn't walk in on anything. I really don't want to scare Edward off by butting in too much, but I want to tell you that he's a good guy." Alice was whispering as she helped me down from the counter and begin to undress, "I can tell he likes you so if you don't like him, don't string him on or play games with him because he's never had a girlfriend before and I don't want him to start off with a girl that isn't going to treat him right. I don't think that you are that type of person, but I still want to make sure." Alice rambled.

I smiled at her and used my face to reassure her. It seemed to work and she helped me bathe. I kept my left leg out if the bath and used a sponge to clean it. I was finished and dressed before I knew it and I hadn't even noticed my bruises. Alice hadn't made a comment and I wasn't going to bring it up. Alice kissed my cheek and left me in the room. I heard some talking outside and shortly after Edward came it. I was literally swept off my feet and brought into Edward's room. We sat on the couch.

"Where are we going to do this?" Edward asked, "My bed?"

I just nodded and he picked me up once again and sat me on a neatly straightened, golden comforter. He laid me down on he side of the bed and sat next to me, "Let me know if you feel uncomfortable at all. We can always stop and wait until Carlisle gets home." He smiled down at me.

His hands moved slowly and he touched the bottom of the long-sleeved t-shirt that I was wearing. I nodded and he slowly raised the shirt off of my body. I saw him wince as the black, purple and greenish and bluish bruises came into his view. I looked up at the ceiling and tried not to cry. Even though he hadn't said anything, I could tell that any chance I had with him was gone. Edward's hands quit moving my shirt and came up to stroke my face, "Shh. It's okay Bella. Does it hurt?"

I shook my head.

"Then why do you look so upset? I'm not judging you at all. I just want to look after you, pretty girl." Edward smiled at me and kissed my forehead, "Do we need to stop? I can always call Carlisle."

I shook my head and he moved his hands away from my face and back down to fix my shirt up to the bottom of my sports-bra. I breathed deeply and just tried to relax. I went ahead and let the already formed tears fall, but I didn't continue to cry. I would rather it was Edward than Carlisle touching me, so I closed my eyes and just waited for him to be through. I pretended that Edward was touching me because he loved me and wanted to, and not because some monster had beaten me up.

"Turn over." Edward lightly lifted my shoulder and helped me turn over. Edward pressed in weird places on my back, checking to see that none of the pieces of bone had migrated to my back. Edward made a long, light brush from the middle of my back and all the way to the base of my spine. I nearly shivered in pleasure. Edward moved my shirt back down, but he didn't remove his hands from my body. I couldn't find it in me to mind.

I felt Edward's hands on my shoulders and nearly moaned when he pressed that tense spot between my shoulder blade and my neck. The muscles there relaxed as he moved his hands over my body to massage my entire back. I was so relaxed by the time Edward had sat down next to me, I didn't even flinch. As he touched me, I fell asleep, not worrying that a man was touching me, not worrying about anything.

_**(A/n: That's all for now.)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**(A/n: Here comes Chapter 5.)**_

_I tried to run, but it was useless. Before I knew what had happened, large hands were tight around my waist and I was being tugged back into the room. The person to whom those hands belonged threw me on the bed. I fell face up, looking into the eyes of the man who would soon take from me a thing I held dear. _

"_Isabella, baby, we're going to have so much fun tonight. I'm James and I'm about to make you feel good all over."_

"_Don't touch me you creep." I tried to move, but he pinned me down by my waist_

"_Ah, ah, ah, Isabella." James slid a hand across my stomach, "No talking." That was when he kissed me, forcing his tongue in my mouth._

I screamed, jumped up and looked around. _It was a dream,_ I told myself. _Just a dream_.

I laid back down and waited for the tears to come. Come they did. I scooted down, pulled the comforter over my head and wrapped my arms around myself, forgetting about where I was.

"Bella? Are you okay?" The velvet voice of Edward came from above my covers. His hand touched my shoulder through the blanket and I flinched away. I tried to remember that Edward was safe, but in this state, there was no thinking. There was only a sick feeling that ran deep within my core. I sobbed and I felt the covers being pulled off slowly. Edward turned me around so that I was facing him. He pulled me against him and I struggled away from him as far as I could. He wouldn't have that and took me into the circle of his arms anyway. I gave in and became encompassed by the circle of his arms. I just held on to him, hoping all of these nightmares would just go away.

"Shh. You're not there anymore, Bella. You're right here with me. I'm going to keep you safe. I promise." Edward began rubbing circles on my back and I actually began to relax.

The more he rubbed my back softly, the better I felt. I felt so safe with him and it really felt good. It hadn't been two minutes, and I found myself laying my head on him and he kissed my hair.

"It breaks my heart to see you so sad." Edward kissed my hair, "I wish I could fix you all up so you could be happy the way a beautiful girl like you deserves to be."

I hugged him closer in reply and he continued, "Maybe I should have a plate of chocolate chip pancakes float around behind you so when you're feeling sad, I can just grab it, hand it to you, and see that pretty smile."

He leaned down to press our foreheads together. He looked down at my curled lips and smiled in return, "There it is."

I blushed and he rambled on, "I'm also quite partial to that little blush that always seems to appear." My blush deepened and he chuckled, "You're quite cute when your flustered." He leaned to kiss my cheek and my breathing hitched.

My stomach found it time to make itself known once more and I giggled, hiding my face in Edward's neck out of embarassment.

"Your tummy just yelled at me." Edward smirked and teased me sweetly, "Let's go!"

Since I couldn't walk, Edward just kept me in his arms and got up from the bed. I rested my head on Edward's shoulder, feeling a little dizzy from the sudden movement. Edward walked all the way down stairs. He walked into the kitchen, completely surpassing my wheelchair all together. He sat me down on the kitchen island and I giggled sleepily. My arms were still around his neck and I didn't let go when he tried to let go.

"Bellaaa..." He drug out the name, "you have to let go if you want food!"

I just giggled and rewrapped my legs around his waist.

"Bella..." Edward warned, "Your tummy is still yelling at me! I have to get it food!"

I shook my head and he chuckled, "You've left me no choice then!"

Edward blew a huge raspberry on the portion of my neck that had been left unbruised and I squealed, pushing him away.

He laid back on the opposite counter laughing while I did my best to wipe off my neck. We were both laughing when Emmett and Alice came in.

"Goodness, Bells! What is so funny?" Emmett's face was confused.

I pointed at Edward and he flushed, which only succeded in making me laugh more. Alice just sat back with a smug look on her face. I rolled my eyes at her when Edward spoke up, "I was just about to ask Bella what she wanted to eat actually. It looks like the parents will be out late. She only slept for three hours..." Edward raised an eyebrow at me and I mock-glared at him.

Everyone looked over at me and I got nervous, hiding my face and shrugging.

"Do you want to help me make meatball sandwhiches?" Edward asked me.

I made an, "mmhm" sound and he was on his way to the island.

"Emmett and I are going to go to the grocery store. Do you need anything?" Alice asked Edward.

"I can't think of anything I need. What are you getting?"

"We're going to get snack food that Emmett and Bella like. Maybe some soda."

"I just remembered that we are out of cream cheese and if you don't mind picking up cocoa powder, mini chocolate morsels, and a pound of strawberries, I would be happy."

"Quite a list dear brother. Are you planning something special?" Alice accused.

"Nope. Just craving some chocolate strawberries. Do you need anything, Bella?" Edward turned to me.

I shook my head. My brother came to hug me and I wrapped my arms around him. He turned to me, "I will be back in an hour. If we don't get back before that I will call and tell you why."

I smiled and nodded. I leaned in to kiss his cheek and he squeezed my hand before walking out the door with Alice.

"We just got this really cool french bread loaves. Mom found them at the Piggly Wiggly and told me that I had to make this sometime soon. Anyway, were going to have to wash our hands, so let me help you." Edward picked me up (by hugging me around my middle gently, still not grabbing my hips) and stood me up before him. He picked me up, sitting me on the cabinet beside the sink. We washed our hands and then he handed me a paper towel to dry them. Once we were through with that, he went to the fridge to pick up the beef.

As we began to roll meatballs, sitting at the tall kitchen table, he started talking to me, "I should take you out to get good Italian food. We've had a million different Italian dishes since your brother and you came here, you probably think we're weird."

I shook my head and smiled at him.

"We just really like Italian food. Esme makes it because we all eat it. When Alice used to not like something my mom made her make her own peanut butter sandwhich. She used to eat them almost every night. It occurred to me once that she probably fogot what hot food tasted like. Mom just started making Italian food because we'd all actually eat the same thing." Edward smirked up at me.

I giggled, picturing a little Alice, cooking her own food for once.

"You know, Bella, I'm really glad you're here. I've had a lot of fun today." Edward smiled as we finished the meatballs. He picked the tray up, put it in the oven and washed his hands before setting the oven timer. He came over to me and picked me up, bringing me to the sink. He stood me up in front of the sink and turned the water on before wrapping his arms around my waist.

When I was through, he handed me a paper towel and I wiped my hands off. He picked me up once more before sitting me on the cabinet beside the stove. He turned on the fire, and began opening cans of different tomato sauses and pastes to fill a medium sized pot he'd hunted up. I watched him while he worked and said nothing as usual. When he was through he turned to wash his hands. After drying his hands he moved and stood directly in front of me, just watching me.

I found this a little odd, but I just stared right back. Edward moved a little closer and kept his eyes on my face. His hands found my knees and they rested there. "I wish I could figure you out, Bella. You are just one giant mystery that I can't wait to solve."

I couldn't concentrate. He was inching closer and closer. I felt like I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to lean in and press my lips to his, but I didn't want to think of _him._ I didn't move and hoped that he wouldn't kiss me. A million flashbacks went through my mind and I tried to stop the tears. I didn't want Edward to think he was the reason I cried.

He saw my fear and leaned in quickly, hugging me. I wrapped my arms around him, and I opened my legs to pull him closer.

"I know you have scars, Bella. Don't cry. I haven't taught the plate to float behind you yet." Edward's fingertips brushed my back. I giggled and hugged him tighter.

It was then that the oven timer went off. I whined and hugged him tighter.

He chuckled and picked me up. He got a fork and walked to the oven. He opened it and used the fork to pull the rack out a little before carefully turning each meatball. The oven was very warm on my back. I looked up and saw the bronze hair of Edward. It all looked so soft. Surely he wouldn't mind if I touched it. I could wait, but I might not get him this close again. He got to touch my hair, so it would be an even trade.

I slowly reached a hand up and stroked his hair gently. He jumped in suprise, but didn't stop his work. I stroked his hair softly while he finished and when he was done, he pushed the rack back in and closed the oven. When the oven was finally closed, he reset the timer and turned to the pot on the stove. After stirring it with a wooden spoon, he turned the fire down and walked right out of the kichen. He walked right into the living room. He laid down on his back with me on top of him.

My hands fell out of his hair and my head fell onto his chest. For the first time ever, I thought about kissing Edward for real. I thought about a short, sweet, little kiss that I knew Edward would give me. I thought about a slow kiss, and, in contrast to what I'd received that night, it sounded really nice. I lifted my head from it's position on his chest and he looked at me in question.

I looked down at his lips and inched forward, not totally sure I could do this. I wanted to kiss him, but I didn't know what to do.

He scooted me up, turned us on our sides and pressed his forehead to mine. He looked me in the eyes and sweetly melted away my fears. My eyes darted down toward his lips and I inched closer to him.

"If you want me to stop, tell me." Edward pressed his mouth slowly to the corner of mine. His lips barely moved to brush across mine. I began to kiss him back and his lips put more pressure on mine. It was all I could do not to pull him close and ravish his mouth. Kissing Edward was something that I never wanted to stop. I kissed him for a short minute but, like all good things, the kiss had to end sometime. Edward pulled away pecking my lips once more then the tip of my nose and then my forehead. He attached our foreheads and by that time I'd realized what had just happened. My eyes, for the millionth time today, filled up with tears. The difference was that this time the tears were of joy. The smile on my face was as big as it had been since I'd woken up in the hospital.

"You're so beautiful, Bella." Edward nuzzled his nose on the side of my face. It was a really sweet gesture that made the tears spill over. When Edward saw this, he searched my face, looking horrified. "Oh God, Bella, I didn't mean to make you cry. Don't be sad. I—I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry. What can I-"

I placed a hand over his mouth and smiled at him, sweetly. He realized what I meant and his mouth smiled under my hand. I took my hand off of his mouth and he pulled me dangerously close. Whispering against my lips he said, "I don't know if I'll be able to let go of you now." He kissed me shortly once more and then pulled me against him. My heart fluttered again.

With that, I layed my head down and fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, simply leaning on someone, letting them help me.

I woke up alone on the couch, but the smell from the kitchen told me where Edward was. I laid back, eyes closed and heard the kitchen door swing. Edward came and picked me up. I laid my head on his chest and he carried me into my room bridal-style. He tried to lay me down, but I clung to him.

"Let go, Bella. I'll be right back with our dinner." This had no effect on me. I held tight still, making a "uh-huh." Then I felt Edward's hands on me. Rubbing my back, and down my arms. When I had loosened up, he pulled my arms from around him and left me in my bedroom.

"Time to eat!" Edward entered and laughed as he saw my frown. "Sorry, Bella. You have to wake up for a minute. You need to eat and get your strength up!"

I groaned and rolled over, away from Edward. He chuckled again and came to get me. He sat me up in his lap and put a plate with my dinner in front of me. I leaned against him and languidly bit into the sandwhich, trying to be careful not to get the sauce on the shirt Edward had given me. My eyes struggled to stay open, but I finished the sandwhich. When I was finished I wiped my mouth on a napkin he'd brought and then pressed my tired eyes into Edward's neck. I remembered our kiss and my face turned into a tomato. I snuggled into him tighter and he chuckled. He had finished long before me and was simply acting as my back rest until I was done. He picked up the paper plates we had used and sat them on my bedside table next to another plate I hadn't noticed him bring in. He picked up the plate of strawberries and sat the on our laps.

"I made something special for you Bella!" He said this with so much delight that I couldn't help but poke my head up and get a look. On a plate he'd put half a dozen strawberries on a plate and after cutting them up he'd drizzled them with chocolate.

"This is the last of the strawberries until Alice and Emmett get back." Edward kissed my cheek and picked a strawberry up, plopping it into his mouth. We ate our dessert and when it was finished, my stomach felt like it was going to burst.

I groaned and layed against Edward. I was so full that it hurt. I kissed Edward's neck in thanks and he pulled me in close for a hug. After moving our dessert plate, he picked me up and sat me on his lap sideways. I snuggled into his chest and prayed that he would kiss me again. I pressed a few soft kisses to the under side of his jaw and he tipped his head up before groaning. "Bells." He sighed. He leaned down and kissed my lips lightly. He moved to lay down and I layed down with him. "Sleep Bella. You were tired remember?" Edward said this nervously.

He didn't want to kiss me. I felt the rejection and couldn't help but pull away. I did it slowly as to make sure that he didn't know I was upset. He shouldn't have to deal with this. I rolled over on the bed and buried my face into the pillow. He, assuming everything was alright, began to rub my back. I flinched away and I could almost hear the click in his mind. "Is everything okay Bella?"

I scooted away from him and nodded. "Okay then," He said, "I'll go put our plates up and be right back." I really didn't want him to go. He was back before I noticed he was even gone and he sat next to me. "Are you upset with me, Bella?"

I shook my head no. The big jerk knew I was lying though. "Bella, you're upset with me. I don't know why." His fingertips trailed down my arms and I shivered in pleasure. "Won't you tell me what's wrong?" His lips found my shoulder and I bit back a sigh of pleasure. As he kissed up my shoulder and neck I became less and less sad and more and more like melted chocolate (in a good way). When he pulled me into his arms I couldn't even remember my name much less why I had been upset. "Bella..." Edward hovered over my body and nipped at the skin of my neck. I had gone from wanting to cry to wanting to cry out.

Before I had been raped, I had been a virgin. I had only kissed a guy once. I had never had anyone worship me the way Edward seemed to be doing now. The rape had not erased any of the shyness I felt when it came to physical love. In fact, it seemed to heighten it. In every spot Edward's body touched mine, I felt as if a million nerves had been activated and set on fire at the same time. My heart was pumping so fast that my vision was clouding a little. I took a shakey breath and the fog cleared a little. Edward's lips brushed against mine as he asked, "Are you still angry Bella."

"Hmm?" Was my less than coherant response. Edward chuckled, "That's a no," and leaned in to actually kiss me.

Kissing Edward was...just...pleasureing. Until I remembered that my breath probably smelled like meatball subs and chocolate strawberries...

Edward broke away from our kiss and he was breathing as hard as I was. "That got out of hand," he said, "You must sleep Bella. I'm sure you didn't get much last night."

I frowned and snuggled into him. I fell in and out of sleep for a few hours, but awoke fully when my brother pushed in the room to find me.

"Woah, dude! Wanna explain what the hell is going on here?" Emmett's voice boomed.

"Well," Edward said extracting himself from our embrace, "Bella is sleeping. I hope she stays that way. She needs sleep."

"Let me be more specific. What the hell are _you_ going sleeping with her?" Emmett now began to give me a migrane. I would have said something, but I was just too tired.

"Do you think she would just let me leave? She ate dinner a couple of hours ago and her attitude went from happy to reserved in about ten seconds. I wasn't going to leave her alone to get all scared and freaked out like she did after I checked her ribs. I found her huddled up underneath the covers screaming and crying. She shouldn't have to go through that alone!" Edward's tone turned grim, "Oh and here's the best part. She spoke to me. In a half of a sentence she basically gave me a look at her self-esteem. It's microscopic. I brought her dinner in here to her bedroom and she fell asleep while I was next to her. I wasn't going to let her be alone again when she had another nightmare. Don't freak out. I didn't do anything with Bella that I wouldn't do in front of you or my family."

Emmett was silent for a moment. His voice was small when he spoke again, "What did she say?"

"She said, and I quote, 'I have nothing to hide anymore. He took what was left of my innocence.' After I unwrapped her knee I paused for a second to debate getting my sister. When I told her that I would go get Alice, she just shook her head and started to talk."

Emmett remained silent and Edward went on, "Dude, don't blame yourself, I can see that's what you're doing. You can't change the past and there is nothing more you could have done to stop that piece of scum that did this to you both. Just help her now to realize what she means to you."

"Thanks for watching her." Emmett finally choked out. I could feel my twin's sadness from here and I tried to wake up to make it stop. Emmett should be happy and not sad.

I groaned and tried to sit up before a hand pushed my shoulder back down. "Sleep little sis." Emmett's voice was at a whisper, still holding all the sadness it did when he spoke to Edward. As Emmett's hand closed around on mine, I returned to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_**(A/n: Here comes Chapter 6.)**_

I woke early in the morning. Emmett was not there and Edward was not there. My wheelchair was not there. I had to use the restroom. You do the math. I worked my way on to the floor and began to stand. My leg was feeling a little better and I thought it might be okay to try it out a little. I put all my weight on my good leg, being careful to stay balanced and upright. I began to put weight evenly on both legs. I felt pretty good about it so I picked up my bad leg to take the first step. The last thing I saw before hitting the floor was the bookshelf rushing up to meet my face.

"Oh my God! Carlisle! Get in here now!" Esme's voice pierced through my fog and sent a sharp pain through my head.

"Holy shit!" I heard Edward's velvet voice say. A hand brushed up to my neck checking for a pulse. When he found one, his hands ran down down my spine checking for breaks. His sigh of relief assured me. "She's okay. It looks like she tried to walk and fell, mom."

"What do you..." Carlisle trailed off in horror. "Pulse?" He asked moving closer. Once Carlisle had checked me over in an examination similar to Edward's, Edward turned me over and pulled me onto his lap. Once my head was resting on his lap he started speaking to me, "Bella, love, can you hear me?"

Carlisle spoke to Esme, "Go get the first aid kit from my office, and wake Emmett and Alice. We might have to go to the hospital. Also, while you're at it, could you also bring the leather notepad and the pen that are sitting on the corner of my desk?"

"Of course, dear. I'll be back soon." By the time Esme's voice had spoken these words, the groan I had held in escaped me. I felt Esme pause in the doorway before leaving to find the things that Carlisle had asked for.

Edward stroked my hair and whispered, "What in the world were you doing, Bella? You scared me, love."

I tried to look up to see his beautiful face, but my eye just wouldn't open up. When Esme returned, Carlisle bandaged my face and broke an ice pack to put over my eye. He had Edward sit me up and he sat the notepad on my lap. He put the pen in my hand before telling me, "Write your full name."

After I'd written 'Isabella Marie Swan' he directed me once more, "What is my son's name?"

After writing 'I don't know, but he sure is dreamy' I got a frown from Carlisle who prompted me to try again. On my second attempt I wrote 'Edward Cullen.' This answer didn't make Edward laugh like he did on my first try.

"Alright Bella," Carlisle began, "What were you up to when you fell?"

My hand moved across the paper, 'walking.'

"Did I not make it specific that you were to use your wheelchair at all times?"

Before he had even finished, my hand moved once more, 'Do you see a wheelchair around? Me neither.'

"Where is her wheelchair, Edward?" Carlisle's voice was angry.

"I believe it is in the living room. Bella fell asleep after Alice helped her into he bath and we decided not to wake her up. I carried her down to her room and we didn't use the wheelchair."

"You can't compromise her health because you like her Edward. You can't be forgetful like this. You need to make sure she has her wheelchair at all times. I need Bella to be in a safe environment and if you guys can't help me with that, I need to bring her back to the hospital before she actually gets hurt." Carlisle was angry and tears welled up in my eyes. He should be yelling at me and not at Edward. Edward moved me to lean on the bed. He stood and addressed Carlisle first.

"It's my fault, Dad. I apologize." He turned to me, "I apologize for being forgetful, Bella."

When Edward left the room, he left it in silence. He had sounded so defeated and utterly heartbroken that he'd made everyone feel a little bit of it. He passed this misery to everyone in the room and this made me want to be the one that comforted him. This made me want to hold him like he'd done to me the numerous times over the past two days. I wanted to tell him that it was alright and that I didn't blame him and that it was my fault. I wasn't a religious person, but I prayed to God that he felt better soon because a little piece of my heart broke when he apologized to me. Tears welled up in my eyes and my throat constricted. It was a good thing that I didn't talk. At this moment I wouldn't have been able to anyway.

Sunday went by and I didn't see Edward except for at meals. He wouldn't catch my eye or even pass a glance at me. It was dinner time when Carlisle spoke to the entire family, "Esme and I have been thinking about something important and we want to talk to all of you about it. I know that this morning has everyone in a mood and I am truly sorry for getting so upset, but despite that, Esme and I have been talking about adoption. When we opened our house to you this weekend, we meant to do it for only this weekend, but we found that when you got here, you both were already loved by the entire family and you fit in so well with us. Esme and I want to invite you to be a part of our family permanently this time. It's completely your choice and I won't pressure you to answer us right this second, but I would like to know your answers before the Child Services agent comes to interview you in the morning. I will excuse Edward and Alice from their first few classes to be here when the agent comes so she can interview the family if you decide that you want to stay. After that, they will go to school and we will go enroll you at the same time. If you decide that you don't want to stay, you won't hurt our feelings or anything, so please don't let that be a factor in your decision making. Anything else Esme?"

"Just that we really have loved having you both here this weekend and that even if you decide that you don't want to stay here you can always change your minds and come right back. The doors to this house will never be closed for either of you."

Tears had been in my eyes since the moment Carlisle had invited us to stay. They were sufficiently running down my face now and I wiped at them embarrassingly. I looked up at Emmett and smiled when I saw that the big teddy bear had tears in his eyes too. I gave him a look that must have said "Please, oh, please!" He chuckled and said to Carlisle, "I think our minds were decided the second you made the offer, but we'll respect your wishes and sleep on it."

I smiled and hugged Emmett's arm to me. It was really to bad that Edward wasn't speaking to me. I turned around to find him and caught a glimpse of this legs walking up the stairs. I didn't know why he was still upset. I mean, I was going to be a part of his family...how could he still be sad. We got the green light to become actual friends!

When it was time to go to sleep, I couldn't because I was too excited. Though my eye was still a little swollen from this morning, it had gone down enough to where I didn't have to go to the doctor. Correction: I didn't have to go to the hospital. Technically, I was already at the doctor. I smiled at my own joke as Emmett walked into my room. He smiled and sat down in the space I made him to sit down. "We actually do need to talk about Carlisle and Esme's offer. I know you want to stay here because you like Edward, but what happens when Edward doesn't like you anymore? I don't want the meals to be awkward like tonight was. I know you will probably make up with Edward when he is done sulking, but what about when you guys decide to date and then break up? You have to promise that if it ever comes down to that, you will be courteous and nice to him, even if he breaks your heart. Promise?" I was taking a gamble here, but I nodded my head anyway. Having even a small piece of Edward's life was worth the misery I would face if broken up with.

I wanted Edward with me, and now was the time to show it.

The agent smiled at me and was nice even though she didn't understand why I wouldn't talk to her. She loved the Cullen family and our adoption papers were immediately approved and put through for processing. I was officially a Cullen even though I would still sport my old last name. Emmett would also keep the last name of our parents and enroll in school with that name. In fact, that's exactly where we were going at that point in time.

We pulled up to the school and Edward shot out of the car. "Edward Cullen!" Esme's yell stopped him in his tracks and made him shrink. "You get back here this instant and help Bella. There is no excuse for you to act so rude!"

My heart fell out of chest and I opened my door for myself. I was out and on my good leg before Edward scooped me up in his arms. He held me in one arm and shut my door with the other. When Emmett had gotten my wheelchair open, Edward put the pillow on top of it before setting me down. He took the back of my wheelchair and began walking into the school. The school wasn't big and we made it into the building quickly. My heart still hurt a little from when Edward walked off, but I didn't cry or anything, so I was okay. Carlisle and Esme went to enroll Emmett and I and Emmett and Alice joined them. I didn't exactly know why Alice needed to be there, but I expected she was giving me a chance to talk to Edward. I was grateful. I was still dressed in my brother's gigantic hoodie when I tugged on Edward's sleeve. He looked at me and said, "Yes, Bella?"

I took the notepad Carlisle had given me and flipped it to a new page. I began to write:

**Are you mad at me?**

Edward held his hand out for the pin. I giggled and handed it to him. I wasn't even enrolled yet and I was passing notes.

_I was never mad at you. I was mad at myself for not being good at taking care of you._

**You forgot one thing. You're just human and it happens. It's my fault anyway. I should have stayed in bed until someone came for me. You shouldn't blame yourself when I did something stupid. **

_If I would have remembered your wheelchair, your beautiful face would still be unmarred._

**See? You help me more than you know. You made me feel wanted when all I wanted to do was die. You helped me come out of the deep depression I had been in while in the hospital. When I woke up, I wished that I had died on the operating table. You made me feel like there was life ahead of me. I loved every second I spent with you. **

I wanted to add that I loved him. That was what I felt. It took three days for me to fall for him.

_I don't want to jeopardize your health by making mistakes Bells. _

**I fell once and you're freaking out. I know you learn from your mistakes so realize that I learn from mine too. I'm not going to get up by myself if there's no one around anymore. I'm not a three year old.**

_Oh, believe me, I know you're not a three year old. For sure. That would make me a cradle robber, literally._

I giggled.

**So are you done ignoring me?**

_Duh._

Then he looked around before pulling me into a deep, passionate kiss. Before I had time to blush, he pulled away and kissed my forehead. As soon as Edward pulled away, Emmett turned around to see my face flush and narrowed his eyes at Edward. Of course, since he didn't know Edward and I made up, he didn't know what I was blushing for. I'm sure he had assumed that Edward had been harassing me or something, so he shot Edward a narrow-eyed glare and gave me a look that said, "He bothering you?"

I rolled my eyes at him and he gave me a nod before turning around. Well, it was nice to know that my brother has my back.

Carlisle turned around to face Edward, "Son, it's almost your lunch period. Would you like to go out and celebrate before you return to school? If you don't-"

"I'd love to Dad." Edward smiled and stood. We left and had lunch. And Esme took Emmett and I shopping for school clothes. Our old clothes would be collected and sent to us once the police were done investigating the crime scene that was our old house.

They had held off the funerals of my mother and father to study their bodies and determine their cause of death. Until then, we had no access to any of our old things including bank accounts. It was lucky that we got under the care of the most generous family in existence.

It was finally Tuesday morning and the first day of school with the Cullens. Since the Cullens lived in a different school district, we changed schools. Typically they would have allowed me a few more days off, but Carlisle didn't want me moping around the house, so I went to school in one of my new outfits. After Alice had helped me changed we got into the car with Edward and Emmett. Emmett was excited to go to class and he was extra excited to meet new people. Carlisle had let Emmett trade his crutches for a cane for convenience, but I was still in my wheelchair indefinitely. Alice had dressed me casually enough in white jeans and a long-sleeved, deep blue sweater. It still showed off quite a bit of my neck so Esme had thrown me a light sash to go over it. I matched and felt good about my outfit. I was very glad that it was November and cold outside or I don't know what I'd do.

I yawned and leaned on Emmett who sat next to me in the car. Emmett would have a few classes different than I did because he didn't like to do the advanced courses that I enjoyed. It seemed that he would have quite a few classes with Alice who had taken regular classes (unofficially) to be closer to this guy who was now her boyfriend. Edward was going to have to babysit me all day since he was the only one taking the advanced courses that I was taking. This of course only proceeded in making me more excited. Once we were at school, Edward and Emmett helped me out of the car and into my wheelchair. Edward let Emmett take me to Edward and I's first class. Emmett and Alice left us to it and Edward handed the teacher a slip of paper. Once the woman nodded at Edward he wheeled me over to a desk. Before pulling me up to it he turned to me, "Would you like me to sit you in the desk and move your wheelchair or do you want me to turn the desk around and pull your wheelchair up to it?"

I spun myself around in the wheelchair to show him my choice and he chuckled at my means of communication, "You know, you have a beautiful voice. It's a shame you don't use it much."

I made a huffing noise and pulled my wheelchair up to the desk. He sat in the desk next to me. I smiled over at him and he gave me a grin in return.

The first bell rang and then the second. The teacher stood and smiled at me and then at the rest of the class who was now seated. "Good morning, class! Surprise today! We have a new student! Everyone say 'Hi' to Isabella!"

The class began to talk rowdily in a series of "Hey Isabella" and "Hello." After the teacher had them calm, she finally spoke, "Now, we have to pretend, just for today, that you are all not really little monsters inside. Just for Isabella, right?"

The class laughed again.

The class was fun and I didn't feel awkward at all. When it was over I felt good and less afraid of what was to come. Edward came to me while I was gathering my things, "I am going to talk to the teacher for a second. Tap the desk if you need my help."

I packed my things and sat my backpack on my lap, pushing out my chair and rolling over to Edward.

"I appreciate it. Thank you for making her feel welcome."

"It was standard issue, Edward. Nothing I wouldn't do for anyone else." The teacher assured Edward before grinning at me, "Sounds like you had fun Miss. Swan." Her eyes narrowed in a mock scowl, "Don't let it happen again."

I giggled and tugged on Edward's shirt, signaling I was ready to leave and he said good bye to the teacher I now knew as Mrs. Houston. Since she was the English teacher, she was already my favorite. Her class this morning just confirmed it.

We had a few more morning classes before lunch. I liked how no one pressured me to talk. I suspected that they had been warned previously and that it wasn't just a fluke. I was not upset by that, but it disturbed me. I didn't like people talking about me while I wasn't around, but they had done it for my comfort, so I guess it was okay. It was in my second class that it happened, though. I had been so relaxed from my first class that I wasn't really looking at my surroundings. I'd just saw Emmett and Alice on their way to their to their next class when a guy came out of nowhere.

"Hey Isabella! I'm Mike Newton." He held out his hand. It would have been okay if he had moved slowly, but it looked as if he made to hit me and I squeaked and jumped away. I really didn't mean to be scared, but I wasn't used to having any men besides the ones in my family around, so it still shocked me a little bit. Me being scared means Edward being angry at the source of the fear which was not really the boy who had scared me, but the man who raped me. Since the latter wasn't around, Edward would settle for the former.

"Dude. I don't know what you are thinking when you approach a poor, defenseless girl in a wheelchair, especially when it is pushed by me. Bug off, Newton, before I sic Bella here on you."

I giggled and gazed up at Edward. Edward gave Mike Newton a menacing look before leaning to kiss my forehead. He kissed my bruised eye before beginning to move us again.

I was all smiles from then until lunch I had my notebook that Carlisle gave me and I used it to write to Edward all morning.

**Mike seems nice. **

_If by nice you mean horny then yes. He was nailing you in his mind. _

**Nailing?**

_...Oh, Bella. He was hitting on you in the hallway._

**No way. All he said was "Hi" and his name. **

_Not what you say, but how you say it. _

**It didn't sound suggestive at all, Edward. I think you are just paranoid. **

_Nope. I just know these things. I bet he will come talk to you again before the day is over. _

**You're on. What do I win when I'm right?**

_How about a kiss?_

**But, I'll get that anyway. So, think of something better. **

_I like to first point out that there's nothing better than a kiss from you and then offer this: I'll carry you everywhere in the house for a week. (Being sure that your wheelchair is near when you sleep, of course.)_

**Ha. You're on. And completely whipped already.**

_What will my reward be? And I'm so not whipped._

**What do you want? I'm not good at these ideas. Yours are always a lot more cute than mine. And you're so whipped that you are making little puppy dog noises. **

_First of all, I'm a man, and nothing about me is cute. Second of all, I want to hear your voice. Whenever you are in a room alone with me, you have to use those sexy little lips to get what you want. Third of all, I do not make little puppy noises. If anything they are strong Alpha male barks._

**You're an ass. You know that? And we all know that the Alpha female triumphs the Alpha male.**

_I try my hardest. Do we have a deal? And btw...The Alpha male is much stronger than the Alpha female. How in the world can she dominate?_

I debated it for a while and then decided:

**Yeah. I'm in. And the Alpha female can hold out on the Alpha male making him a pile of play-doh.**

_God I hope I win. Hearing you say things like that is going to be so satisfying when I win. _

I laughed at this and the teacher saw me. I smiled at him, looked down at my books and pretended to be doing some important homework.

When the he had looked away, I spared Edward a glance. When I caught his eye I grinned and he let out a chuckle too low for the teacher to hear.

After third period, we went to lunch and found Emmett and Alice. We had a nice, uneventful lunch until I saw someone approach our table.

Please, please, please don't be Mike Newton.

"Hey Isabella. Remember me? I'm Mike Newton."

Shit.

I waved at him and he talked as if I'd spurred him on.

"So do you like being called Isabella or Bella better? I heard Edward call you Bella, so I was just wondering."

I was silent and I looked over at Edward who appeared extremely amused.

There was an awkward pause and Edward finally said, "Bella dosen't speak," He completed his sentence under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear, "except when we're alone."

I huffed and then waved at Mike, no longer paying attention to him. He eventually left as I began to eat the pizza that was on my tray and Edward just kept chuckling to himself. I elbowed him, but that only made him laugh harder. He was a lost cause.

"What the hell is so funny?" Emmett finally broke down and asked. I just glared up at Edward and he explained that we'd had a bet going.

Emmett and Alice laughed. And Emmett said, "What did you bet Edward?"

"I bet my muscles for a week. If I would have lost I would have had to carry Bella around the house all week."

"And her?" Emmett pressed.

"Confidential. Sorry bro."

"Ass." With that a tall blonde guy came up to the table. Once Alice caught sight of him, she ran up to him and hugged him. A blonde girl who looked a lot like the man Alice was now kissing also walked up to the table.

"Hello, Bella." The male said to her, "I'm Jasper, and this is my sister Rosalie."

_**(A/n: That's all for today!)**_


	7. Author's note!

Hey guys! I really appreciate you all being so patient and not yelling at me about updating. I've had some computer problems and it took me a while to find out where the problem was and how to fix it, but I have finally done it so enjoy the latest chapter and keep reading! Every time I see a review it helps me want to write more. :) I hope you've enjoyed the latest chapter and depending on the response I'll post in a few days. The update will definately be by saturday if I don't get any. :) Thank you for reading!

Diva


	8. Chapter 7

_**(A/n: Here comes Chapter 7.)**_

* * *

"_Hello, Bella." The male said to her, "I'm Jasper, and this is my sister Rosalie."_

I waved and smiled at them shyly.

"Wow. She can't even grace us with a 'hello.' Polite." The girl, who obviously believed she was a queen bee, was not very sincere in her greeting. I hid my face in Edward's sleeve and she snorted, "Wow. Either she's really shy or there's something wrong with her."

"Rose. Be nice to Bella or fuck off. She has a hard enough time being here without you being a bitch to her." I had never heard Edward quite so mad before. He picked me up out of my chair and sat me on his lap. I hadn't even realized I had been crying until Edward began to wipe my tears. He pressed the side of my face to chest and whispered in my ear, "Shh. It's okay. She is has this disease called permanent bitchiness. She wouldn't know nice if it bit her in the ass. She's your opposite."

I giggled and hiccuped a little bit. I kissed his neck and then nuzzled my nose in the same spot.

Edward turned back to Rose, "It just so happens that Bella has PTSD. You know what that's like Rose, don't you?" His voice was like a viper. I could hear the intake of breath from both Alice and Rose.

"Edward. I'm going to have to ask you to calm down and not say things like that to my sister. You too Rose. Bella didn't do a damn thing to you. We all just need to relax a little bit. We're all friends, right?" Jasper's voice was calming and I felt myself liking him already. He was probably a good balance for Alice and her hyper disposition. I decided that I approved and that as soon as I found the courage to tell her that I would.

"I apologize, Bella." Rose's voice was stark and sincere, "Forgive me, please. It was rude of me to be so mean to you. Especially when I didn't know you or anything about you."

I nodded my head in approval and Edward asked me, "Do you want to go home? Are you tired?"

I made a noise that sounded like "no" and then laid my head on Edward's shoulder, catching a nap before our next class. When I awoke, I was being sat back in my wheelchair and rolled to what I assumed was my next class. I moved my hand to touch Edward's hand.

"Good nap, love?" I could hear the smile in Edward's voice.

I nodded and smiled a little.

"Want to go home? Still tired?"

I shook my head furiously and smiled. I was a little dizzy from it. Edward tipped me back in my wheelchair and I squeaked. He chuckled and kept my wheelchair leaned back so that I could look up at him. I giggled as he rolled us to our next class which was Biology. Our next teacher was Mr. Banner.

Mr. Banner introduced himself to me and asked me to introduce myself to the class. When I shook my head, his smile at me didn't falter. He thought I was just shy. "Come on. Why not?"

"Bella doesn't talk. She has a form of PTSD that causes anxiety when speaking. Did you not get the E-mail?" Edward asked Mr. Banner.

An E-mail. Duh. I guess that's how all of the teachers knew not to approach me or try to make me talk.

Once Mr. Banner apologized, he told Edward to trade places with someone so that we could sit next to each other. Edward and I were now faced with the same problem as we'd had at lunch on Saturday. The desks were made to sit at with stools and not my rather short wheelchair. Edward didn't want me to be left out, so he picked me up and sat me on the stool next to him. I hugged him and then set about putting my things on the desk, throwing the rest of my backpack between Edward and my stools.

Mr. Banner was busy reading something that I assumed was the E-mail about me on his computer until the bell rang. When the class started, he introduced me as Isabella.

Edward and I passed notes the entire class and Mr. Banner didn't say anything if he even noticed. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and there was really not much I could do about it besides getting to sleep as quickly as possible. When Edward sat me in the car and shut the door, I leaned against it and fell fast asleep.

When I woke I was in Edward's arms, one of my favorite places to be. We were on our way into the house and I could hear the voices of Rosalie and Jasper trailing along with us too.

My head was in Edward's chest and I sighed his name in what I thought was too low for him to hear. He chuckled and I blushed and hid my face in his shirt. He kissed the top of my head and made his way to the living room. He plopped onto the couch and I, of course, fell with him. I giggled and kissed his neck.

"Don't get too cozy there man." Emmett's voice boomed at Edward. "And no touching her. At all, anywhere. In fact, whenever she's in the room I want you to keep your hands behind your back."

I groaned and hugged Edward to me tighter.

"Bella. I'm a teenage boy, so I know what's going through his mind right now. By refusing to get off of him you are only helping him to hide that he's got a boner for you." Even Emmett chuckled by the end of his sentence.

I turned, stuck my tongue out at Emmett, and the turned to Edward, giving him a peck on the lips before leaning my head on his shoulder again. I began placing little kisses on his neck and I felt him shift under me, picking me up and placing me on a different part of his lap.

"You're going to have to stop that if you want Emmett's comment to remain untrue." Edward's hurried whisper in my ear made me freeze. There was no way he could be aroused by me.

"Really?" I whispered, "No. You're joking."

"Ha. Keep doing that and find out then." Edward chuckled since Emmett's attention was now on Jasper who was talking about something that had happened at school last Friday.

"No. You're full of crap, Edward." I was whispering in his ear still. I suddenly felt too close to him. If he was going to lie like that, he could at least have the decency to do it far away from me. I pushed away and moved closer to Emmett, sitting close to him on the couch. I yanked on his sleeve before pointing to my wheelchair. He got up and moved me into my wheelchair. I rolled all the way to my door only to see it was closed. I rolled up to it sideways so I could reach it and then I pulled it open. After a few minutes of struggling I gave up in frustration. If the door would just be one that pushed in instead of pulled out, I would be fine. I leaned my head in my arms and began to cry only to be found by Emmett.

"Hey Belly button. What's wrong?" Emmett looked troubled so I turned to him.

"Door." I spoke lightly and almost under my breath. Emmett was shocked and moved to open it, allowing me passage after a brief pause. I made my way into the room and after a small struggle, threw myself onto the bed. Emmett chuckled from the door, but I just curled up and started to cry. Emmett was being mean, Edward was lying and I was tired. All those things added up with the fact that the pain pill for my ribs and eye had worn off while on the car ride home. I just wanted to cry and there was nothing anyone could do about it. I heard Emmett leave and I let a sob out. My own brother didn't want to deal with me.

My door opened once more and I felt Alice's hand on my shoulder, rubbing it in comfort. I was little enough that there was still space for Alice to sit next to me. "Emmett will be here in a second with some pain pills. You've had a big day today. I'm pretty proud that you made it all the way through the day without freaking out. It's all going to be okay. You're just tired and probably hungry. I'll make Edward fix you something and bring it in here after you wake up from your nap. When I go to sleep, I'll plug my phone up in your room so you can text Edward or dad if you need anything."

My sobs had quieted in order to listen to Alice and I nodded when she was done. She'd confided in me that she liked to stay up late to text Jasper instead of go to sleep and she was going to give that up to make sure I was safe. I hugged her and she held me for a second before letting go. Now that the edge of my frustration was gone, I could truly appreciate how much this family actually did for me.

Emmett came in with the Advil and gave me a giant bear hug. He held me until I fell asleep, knowing that I was just frustrated and tired. When I woke up, it was dark. Alice's phone was lying on my nightstand and I smiled. It was really too bad that I was starving. I opened the phone there was a text from Edward. It said:

_Bella, Please wake me up if you need anything, and I'm sorry about earlier. _

I replied to his message when my hands woke up. I noticed that the clock said 10:30. I wasn't sure if Edward would be asleep yet, but I assumed he wouldn't and texted him back.

**Edward, I have to go to the bathroom and I'm kinda hungry. I hate to bother you, but I need help.**

I wait for his message back while hoping he was awake. I needed to apologize for being so cranky earlier. I didn't get a text back, but Edward did suddenly walk into my room only to find me watching the phone like a desperate little girl. Oh well, you win some and loose some.

Edward came to me directly and gave me a gigantic hug. As usual he read my mind and suspected what I was thinking, "I wasn't kidding earlier." He spoke as he placed butterfly kisses along my neck and cheeks, "Getting me all hot and bothered and then having the nerve to pretend I was unaffected. Silly beautiful girl."

"I'm all beat up. Not at all pretty." I told him, actually speaking in a gross scratchy voice because I'd lost the bet. The truth was, I really wasn't bothered too much by loosing. I didn't ever know what to say because no one expected me to speak and this gave me a good excuse.

"You think that just because you're in a wheelchair and a little bruised up that you're any less sexy? Not a chance." Edward still kissed along the side of my face.

"Not one part of me is or ever was anywhere near sexy, Edward." I frowned at him. He was being ridiculous.

"I'm going to keep telling you this until you believe it. You are really pretty. Mike Newton didn't approach Jessica at all her first day. He talked to you twice." Edward was still being ridiculous. Jessica Stanley, one of the girls brave enough to approach Edward and I as we walked to class, was very attractive. She was no where near Rose's beauty, but then again, who was?

"Whatever." I didn't say anything else, but his words made me blush. I was secretly thrilled to hear his words. It almost didn't matter that they were true as long as they were from him. He wanted me to feel pretty whether that was because he thought it was true or because he was trying to help me cope with my PTSD, I didn't know.

"Crazy, beautiful, silly Bella." Edward whispered against my lips just before kissing me. We kissed for a while before I got the courage to run my tongue along his bottom lip. He opened his lips slowly and his tongue came to meet mine in the same manner. We kissed like that for a moment, our tongues gliding together, before the worst possible thing I could imagine happened.

_**My freaking stomach growled.**_

Edward pulled back with a chuckle and scooped me into his arms. "Have you decided on a number Bella?"

"What?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

"You know. How many times you're going to get me all worked up today. Two times so far."

"You're being ridiculous. I still think you're lying." My voice was ice and he winced.

"I can't prove it to you without being completely inappropriate, but if that's what you want then here it goes." Edward sat me down on the kitchen island and connected our lips again. His hand moved along my right arm and he finally moved it far enough to grasp my hand. Once he had my hand in his, he put the hand on his thigh. "Go ahead. Prove me right."

Our tongues now moved together in a slow sensual manner. My hand was moved by his to brush over his manhood. True to his word, Edward was hard and the second my hand touched him, his manhood twitched. Edward moaned into my mouth and leaned into the kiss more. After a while, he began to move up and down against my hand. Finally, he pulled my hand away and pulled away from our kiss. "Believe me now?"

"Oh yeah. Although, I wouldn't mind being convinced again." I whispered breathlessly against his neck.

Edward pulled my entire body body closer to his after letting out a chuckle.

"That might not be the best idea." Edward hugged me close and gave me comfort after the intimacy we'd shared. "Emmett would kill me for merely kissing you much less taking you on the counter. That seems to be the imminent outcome of the sexy way your hands like to move against me."

I giggled and hugged him close. I ate my dinner (a turkey sandwich) and then Edward carried me to the bathroom. Once I was through, he took me back to my room.

"Thank you." I whispered to Edward.

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "We have school tomorrow, love, so get some sleep."

"Stay here?" I asked.

"Until you fall asleep." Edward laid us down on the bed and held me against his chest. He fell asleep right beside me.

The alarm on Alice's phone woke Edward and I at Five AM. I felt Edward groan underneath me and hit a button to make the alarm shut off. A minute of two later he spoke at a whisper, "Time for me to wake Alice up. She probably forgot her phone had an alarm on it. I'll just tell her that you texted me. She won't believe me, but oh well. Anyway...Good morning, love." He placed a light kiss on my lips and attempted to move me off of him. I whined and held on. I was tired and he was warm and shirtless. You do the math. "I'll be right back, I promise. As soon as I can get away from Alice. I'll be right back. Go back to sleep. You won't even have time to miss me."

He got up and I watched him go out the door, admiring his bare back and sweatpants covered ass. Until he got back, I imagined running my hands up and down his broad back and blushed. I was pushing my hair out of my eyes and stretching out when Edward returned. He paused, looking at my state and then chuckled and continued his approach.

"What's got you all hot and bothered?" Edward kissed my neck, scooting in the bed beside me.

I didn't say anything and put my hands on his back like I imagined doing. My hands explored him and eventually made their way into his hair. It was then that it happened again.

My stomach growled...again.

Edward laughed and kissed his way down my throat only to push my shirt up a little and place a few kisses along my tummy. He was very gentle and he almost made me forget what happened last time I'd been in this position. I had cried and freaked out as Edward had examined my ribs in his room, but now his hands and lips on my body felt like home.

Wednesday went much like Tuesday in that we went to the same classes and ate lunch with same people. Wednesday was movie night for Alice and Jasper. They invited Emmett and I to go out to a movie with them like they always invited Edward and Rosalie. Alice had always invited Edward and Rosalie along and they seemingly went along often. We would have to sit in the handicapped seats when we went, but Alice said she didn't care.

"It doesn't matter where you go or what you do or where you sit as long as your with the people who you want to be with. I can't think of anyone I'd like to be with more than my new brother and sister. And you too Jasper." She tacked on the ending sweetly enough as to make Jasper chuckle.

The six of us went out to eat that night. We were just driving up to a small Italian restaurant when I saw him. He made eye contact with me and smiled politely before disappearing behind the crowd moving down the block.

I froze. My throat closed up and my world spun. I felt my hands curl up into balls against my chest before everything went black.

_**(A/n: All done.)**_


	9. Chapter 8

_**(A/n: Here comes Chapter 8.)**_

_I froze. My throat closed up and my world spun. I felt my hands curl up into balls against my chest before everything went black._

When I awoke the world was still spinning. I had collapsed against the door and I heard Edward's voice over the haze. "Bella. Are you okay?"

I didn't answer and continued to try to even my breathing. I wanted to go home. I was stupid to think I could live a normal life after what that monster did to me.

My door suddenly opened and Emmett was there to help me into my wheelchair. My hands gripped the seat. Emmett already had my seatbelt off of me before I knew what was going on.

"No! He'll come back!" I screamed at him and scrambled back into the car. We'd taken two cars so that all of us could get there and the Alice and Jasper who had driven seperately were now approaching us.

"Bella, honey, what's wrong?" Emmett slid in next to me as I started to sob uncontrollably. I curled up into a ball and made myself as small as possible. Emmett reached for me, but I just cringed away from him.

"Get out of the car, Emmett." Rose's voice was butter it was so soft. She had been acting like a saint since her mean greeting at lunch the day before. Emmett retracted himself from the car and Rose slid in next to me. Her voice was low enough so that no one could hear. She spoke slowly, "This is the hardest part of it, Bella. Going out and seeing people you don't know. School was hard for me when I first came back from the hospital because he'd been my age. It was hard, but I did it. I know you're going to see people who look like him and you're going to be afraid, but don't let him affect you any more. He already did so much bad to you. Don't let what he did stay with you. Brush him off because he isn't worth the suffering. You deserve to be happy and so did I. Who ever you saw is not the man who hurt you. That man is gone from your life forever." Rose touched my shoulder and when I didn't flinch away, she wrapped me in her arms.

"Do you want to go to eat or do you want Edward to take you home?"

"Eat." And I was starving too. I hugged Rose closer for a moment before letting her out so Emmett could help me into my wheelchair. I was surprised when I felt Edward's hands lift me from the car and not Emmett's. As Edward sat me down he whispered to me, "The second you want to leave, step on my foot or squeeze my wrist and we'll go right then."

I smiled at him, wiping the rest of my tears from my eyes. I nodded and we were on our way into the restaurant. Rose and Emmett entered first only to be followed by Edward and I and finally Jasper and Alice. Putting me in the center, they protected me from whatever was or wasn't in that crowd. I felt safe with them and right now, that was just what I needed.

Edward laughed next to me when the couple on screen kissed. I looked over at him and noticed he looked from the screen to the seats beside him, shaking his head.

I grasped his hand, making him look over at me, still with a smile on his face.

"Get a look at the rest of our party." Was all Edward said to me. I yawned and streched pretending to lean back out of stiffness. My eyes widened.

Emmett had Rosalie on his lap. I couldn't tell where Emmett ended and Rose began. Their lips were glued together and their hands were found to be in a few inappropriate places.

My hand came up over my mouth and my eyes widened. I looked at Edward who was still laughing silently. Well...if Emmett was going to be that shameless, so was I. I raked my fingernails along Edward's unshaved jaw. When he turned to face me in question, I looked up at him through my lashes and let my eyes dart down to his lips a few times.

His head swooped down to reach my lips in the next heartbeat. His tongue played against mine for a while, playful and sweet. He chuckled and pulled away, "Wouldn't want to make a spectical of ourselves like your brother and Rose seem to be doing."

I smiled and leaned against him, keeping his hand in mine. Things were going to be hard to face, but I knew that Edward had my back.

"Yeah, Emmett. And I've never seen you grab Rose there before." Edward had me in his lap on the couch. It had been 3 days since the theatre incident and Rose and Emmett had become an official couple, making a scene I'd rather not remember. Edward and I never really told anyone what we called ourselves officially, but we were a couple and we were in love. Edward didn't ever try to push the boundries with me. He never sought to go farther than kissing and while that comforted me in a way, it also made me sad. I hadn't made all that much progress when it came to speaking in public. I talked more with Edward than I used to and speaking became easy around my family. Home was a safe environment for me and I was used to speaking here. While it wasn't exactly full sentences, I was still proud of my progress.

"Edward." I warned. I didn't want my brother to know every detail of my love life just like I didn't want to know everything about his.

"What? I touched your lower back and he's complaining at me."

"You were grabbin' for some ass so hard it's not even funny!" Emmett scoffed.

"Both of you. Quiet." I was trying to keep my tone firm, but it really didn't work well. I was trying not to laugh at the thought of Edward "grabbin' for some ass."

"I was planning on taking you on a date tonight, but I guess we can just stay here with Em, Rose, Jaz and Alice instead..."

I made as to stand up, but Edward just picked me up and sat me in my wheelchair. I didn't tell him, but I had been practicing getting around without my wheelchair. I think he might have known though.

We drove all the way to Port Angelas again and we went to dinner and a movie. There didn't seem to be too much else to do around here, but that was okay. I didn't like the dark, but as long as Edward was close by, my mind couldn't stray too far. We watched our movie and went home. Once my wheelchair was pulled up to the door, Edward turned to me and asked, "Did you have a good time tonight?"

"Absolutely."

He smiled and pulled us into my room. He went though our nightly routine and when I was seated on the bed, medicated and wheelchair within reach, he knelt in front of me.

"Bella...This past week that you've been here has been the best week of my life. When you came here, all I saw was a little broken girl, but now I see a strong woman who faces the world despite all the terrible things that have happened to her. I forget sometimes why you are in that wheelchair. I know you won't be there forever, but I still can't help but feel guilty about pushing myself on you physically. I don't regret anything I've done with you, don't get me wrong, but I wanted to say that I'm sorry for going so far as to kiss and touch you when I have no idea what you've been through."

"There's nothing to forgive you for Edward. I never feel pressure when I'm with you."

"I'm glad. Just know that if you ever do feel pressure that you should let me know so I don't make you feel uncomfortable. I love to kiss you and touch you, and I definitely don't want that to stop. Actually, I have something to ask you." Edward paused.

"Go ahead, Edward." I smiled at him.

"When I'm around you, I'm happy. I want to be happy all the time and I want to share it with you. Would you be my girlfriend? It dosen't have to change anything. It would just be official that no other man can court you." Edward begged me.

"I wasn't already your girlfriend?" I giggled at him and he pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you!" Edward gripped me to him harder and I winced as I shifted, tweaking my ribs which were still sore.

"Oh! Bella! Are you alright? I didn't mean to...oh God. I'm sorry."

"Nonsense, the pain's already gone. Now...get over here and seal the deal." I smiled at him just as he leaned in to kiss me.

Edward had made a habbit out of staying with me at night. Only Alice knew and she wasn't telling. The second she told, was the second that she stopped having her phone to text message Jasper at night.

I woke up Sunday morning in Edward's arms. He was still asleep and I could tell that he was having a rather exciting dream. Why? Because I could feel his erection pressing into my thigh. I thought it was kind of funny until he began to grind into my leg. I watched as the aroused Edward pulled me on top of him, grinding against my core in his dream state. I was beginning to feel the wetness soak my panties as he began to grind into me harder. My head laid on his chest and I pretended to be asleep while his hand reached between my legs from behind me to stroke my bundle of nerves. I moaned lightly against him and he bucked against me, wakeing up in the process.

Edward froze his movements realizing exactly where he was. As he pulled his hands from me, I could almost hear the guilt.

"Not again!" He whispered, assuming I was asleep. "Shit."

I felt his eyes on me and I felt his hands on my sides. He tried to move me off of him, but I held on, signaling that I was awake and didn't want him to leave.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I have to go take care of my problem." Edward's hands moved me off of him more forcefully.

"But who will take care of mine?" I asked him, looking up to where he stood beside my bed.

"I don't want to pressure you, Bella."

"Just pretend you're doing a favor that I asked you. Pretend that I haven't been soiled by some sick, pathetic excuse of a man. Pretend that your girlfriend hasn't been raped and scarred and that she wants you to touch her. I just want to be normal, Edward. I want it bad." I was in tears by the end and no longer even wanting to feel an orgasm. That damn man was still ruining my life and I couldn't do anything about it.

"Oh, Bella...You know that's not what I think of you. I don't want to push you. I want to love and cherish you in every way. I'm afraid I'll hurt you." Edward laid next to me as I cried.

I couldn't even get words out anymore. I was sobbing and letting words like, "please" and "normal" out.

Edward held me on my bed while I cried and I noticed that he no longer had an erection. That, of course, increased the flow of tears from me. "Shh...It's all going to be okay. I'm not mad."

When I had cried myself out, I slumped against Edward and sniffed. I could imagine that my eyes were swollen up and that I looked like a wreck. All the good things that Edward had made me feel earlier that morning were a distant memory. I was all wound up and Edward was probably blaming himself. "I'm sorry." The words slipped out of my mouth full of sorrow and anguish.

"It isn't your fault, Bella. I realize that it is that horrible man's fault. You are justified in feeling cheated because you feel like if I had a girlfriend who hadn't been raped that I would have pleasured her. The truth is, I have never touched a girl like I've touched you. I wouldn't have done it reguardless. I was doing the polite thing and leaving the room because it was the right thing, not because I felt like you couldn't handle it or because another man had touched you first. That's one way he can never affect your life. He can never come between the two of us because I refuse to let him. I don't care that you think you aren't good enough, because to me, you're the best. I'd pick you a thouand times over if I picked from all the girls in the world. Don't be sad and don't doubt youself when you're with me because my feelings on this aren't going to change." Edward's speech touched my heart and I realized he was right. He made it clear to me that he didn't care what that man had done because he loved me. He didn't say those words, neither of us were ready for that, but I felt them.

I kissed his lips shortly and then rested my head against his shoulder once more. His arms held me to him tightly in a bond that I never wanted broken.

_**(A/n: Okay...that was a shorter chapter, but I promise the next one will make up for it.)**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**(A/n: Here comes Chapter Nine! I can't update for two weeks because I'll be down in New Orleans so I won't be updating for a while. I get back on Monday and I'll try to update during the week, but I'll definitely post by next Saturday, July 28th. Have two chapters for now and Please Please PLEASE review darlings!) **_

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Sunday had been quiet. I didn't speak all day because I knew my mind would just remember how much I had talked this morning. By the time night came, I was not tired. I sat in bed with Edward while he talked to me. He was holding me against his chest and comforting me with his soft words and deep tibre. "You were quiet today, Bella. Why?"

I simply shrugged my shoulders.

"You're upset about this morning."

It wasn't exactly a question, but I shook my head in reply.

"Yes you are. You were so upset this morning. If I have to use sex or a form of it to prove that I lo-want you, then I will. Right now." He masked his momentary lapse in speech by making his lips mold themselves to mine in an instant. I kissed him back. His hands moved down my back and as they reached my hips the sensation went directly to my core. He moved me and laid me down into the same position we'd been in this morning. His hands moved down to touch me and I stopped his hand.

"Stop." I looked up to Edward from my position on his chest. I kissed his lips lightly and rolled off of him. He turned to look at me with a questioning look. "I don't need you to prove anything to me. I know you love me. I know you want me. I was just tired and being selfish. I was being an idiot and I know it now. I want you to touch me, but I don't want you to do it to prove yourself to me. Another time?"

"Absolutely." Edward's smile was heartbreaking. He leaned in to kiss me and I kissed him back.

When I went to sleep that night it was in a better mind-set than I'd had throughout the entire day.

When I woke Monday morning I was ready for school. Edward had stayed with me and slept in my bed beside me. I stretched out and, as I contemplated how mad my family would be if they found me in this position with Edward, I heard the door open quietley as if it read my thoughts. The horrified gasp belonged to Emmett. Well shit. It was silent for a moment as Emmett eyes flickered between Edward and I rapidly. He had a scowl on his face as he slammed the door and stomped away. Oh, Great. I was now going to have to talk to him about it. I looked down at Edward, stirring slightly from the noise, and then got out of bed to find my wheelchair and then Emmett. Once I was out in the hall I caught a glimpse of Emmett as he was limping around the banister and up the stairs where I couldn't follow him.

Well this day was starting _wonderfully..._

I rolled back to my room and the rest of the morning went as usual, however Emmett was quiet and reserved and had a strangely betrayed look whenever he looked in my direction. I knew we would talk later but I still felt a really sick feeling fall into the pit of my stomach.

My crazy first hour teacher was at it again and the class was fun. Edward was seemingly oblivious to the morning's happenings but he did notice my quiet attitude before lunch started. As he was wheeling me into the lunch line he pulled my chair back on two wheels and I looked up at him with a grin.

"Why were you so quiet today?" His eyes reached all the way into my soul.

"Emmett." This was all I offered him in such a crowded place. I wasnt afraid of the talking in public per se, but it had been so long since I'd had confronted people directly that I was afraid of the direct attention I would get. I didn't want to be a person people stared at for finally talking. I knew I'd have to do it at some point, but not now.

"I guess we'll talk more after lunch then."

I nodded and we proceeded into lunch. The table was quiet and awkward, but we made it through and to Biology. When we got inside and settled I wrote down everything that had happened this morning on to Carlisle's notebook. He was going to talk to Emmett soon and so was I. Class went on and about half way through, Edward had to go to the bathroom. He quickly left.

A few minutes later the door to our class rattled and everyone jumped in suprise. I heard a familiar angry shout and tried to get out of my seat. My throat closed up as I tried hard to get someone's attention. I tapped the desk of a guy who sat behind me and when he saw what I was trying to do, he helped me into my stupid wheelchair. The guy rolled me out into the hall to see my two favorite people in the world fighting.

"STOP!"

…

My voice rang out at the highest volume since I'd woken up in that hospital bed a week ago.

The stunned looks on the faces of everyone including my two boys was startleing. People were coming out of their classes and watching the whole scenerio. Everyone was dumbfounded. When Emmett shook out of his stupor he shoved Edward away and limped to me. He knelt and reached to caress my cheek and I flinched back.

I began to speak in a low, even tone. "What in the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Maybe not so even, but low and threatening at least. What could I say? I was furious. "I cannot believe you would do this to me. He has been the best thing that has happened to me since I've gotten here and you hurt him? He's helping me cope with what that monster did, and you're _hurting_ him?"

"_I _was the one that saved you in the first place!" Emmett's reaction took me aback. "_I _was the one who stayed up night after night with you in the hospital and made sure you got all your medicines on time. _I_ was the one who slept with you when you were scared." His voice dropped to a whisper. "_I_ was the one who untied you after that fucker raped you. Or have you forgotten? I find you cuddled up to this asshole and you expect me to be okay?"

This pissed me off more. I didn't keep my low voice when spoke again, "Yes. I forgot all about why we're here in the first place Emmett. Thanks for reminding me! I forgot about him raping me beating the shit out of me! Fuck you Emmett, if you think I stop thinking about it for one second! I expect you to be okay with Edward and I being together because it is _my_ choice. I didn't _choose_ to get raped. I didn't _choose_ to get my ribs broken when he hit me. I didn't _choose_ for him to bend my fucking knee cap backwards so I couldn't get away. I _did_ choose Edward though, so if you think I'm going to let you ruin that for me, you're deranged."

"It wasn't him that helped you or stayed with you! It was all _me_! Why did you open up to him and not me? Why don't you love _me?_" Emmett broke down in sobs and burried his face in my lap.

It was my turn to be stunned. I looked up at Edward's already bruising face and he was also in shock. The teachers shook themselves out of their shock and began to shuffle the masses back into classrooms. When it was just Mr. Banner, Edward, the guy who rolled my wheelchair and us left alone in the hallway I took both sides of his face and moved his head to look at me. "I love you more than anything in the world. I can't believe you don't already know that. We have some things to work out at home, but I don't ever want to hear you say that again. I like Edward and he's a big part of my healing, but I know that you are my most important thing in the world. There's not one person in this whole world that could replace you. You saved my life and healed me more than any doctor I had. We're going to go to the office to call Carlisle and go home. You know you can't solve your problems this way and you're going to be in trouble. Next time you feel like this, tell me and I'll talk to you about it. You can't go beating people up when you get upset okay? Now stand up and help Edward. Because _he_ loves you too."

He nodded, tears still coming down. He stood up and limped over to Edward, offering a hand. Edward took the offered outstretched hand and was pulled into a hug. Edward handed Emmett his discarded cane (which had recently replaced his crutches) and they both walked to the office. Mr. Banner dismissed the wheelchair pusher and pushed me all the way to the office himself. After an hour or two of talking to the principle Esme and Carlisle we were dismissed to go get our things and go home.

I didn't know how I was going to deal with my twin and my boyfriend but they were both going to make this up to me. I spilled some of my darkest secrets in front of a hundred people because of Emmett and I couldn't believe my pacifist boyfriend, Edward, fought back against my brother. A fight takes two people.

I had no idea what would happen when we got home.

They were grounded for a week. Just a week. Emmett was suspended for 5 days. That wouldn't have been so bad if Edward hadn't have been suspended for the same amount of time. They actually got off easy. Carlisle bargained for just one week instead of two. But they had to do community service hours together each day they were gone. So they would be at school, just outside helping to build the newly funded fense.

I didn't know what I was going to do without Edward there to push me to my classes. I'm not even sure where all of them were. I'd never had to pay attention...

Alice would help me a little, but I was going to be on my own until lunch. I think I could find my way to AP Biology, but my other classes were going to be harder.

When I woke up Tuesday I felt sick, but went on with my morning as usual, pretending that Edward was going to be with me. I had learned to get dressed on my own and even walk a few feet to my closet, but I hadn't had the courage to try too much after I broke my face the first time.

When I rolled into the kitchen by myself (because Edward was sent to his room without dinner the previous night) I reached over the counter and tried to fix toast. Simple right? No. A pair of gigantic hands that belonged to my brother moved to scoot the toaster closer toward me. I finally got the bread in and cooking. I turned around to smile at Emmett, but he was already gone. I frowned, but didn't follow him out. When my toast was done I buttered it and put it on a napkin since I couldn't reach the plates. I put my breakfast on my lap and wheeled into the living room to find Emmett with a pair of brand new crutches in his hands.

I assumed they were for me and took them from him after a quiet "Thank you." I slipped my wrists through the cylinders and grabbed the bars that were on the other side. I slowly stood and Emmett watched my first steps before I stumbled and fell. Emmett chuckled and sat me back up to try again. I maneuvered around the room and once I was across the room from Emmett and the wheelchair I stuck my tongue out at both Emmett and the accursed object and slumped on the couch, out of breath.

I looked up and saw Emmett eating my toast. _Sigh..._

We left as normal, but when it was time for us to go to class, Edward and Emmett left off to the principle's office. Edward kissed my lips and Emmett, my forehead and they both strode off together. I hobbled to my first class with Alice to guide me. I sat in the desk, panting, as Alice talked to me.

"...and your wheelchair is in the car of you decide you need it. Your notepad is is in your backpack and I have already written a note that says to page me to the office if you need to get it so you can just hand it to someone. Be careful and don't try to walk too fast. Your teachers will understand if you're late. See you at lunch!" She kissed my forehead and flitted off before I could open my mouth. Not that I had the breath to say much. Walking was tiring. And my sister was like a hyped up phychic fairy. She was wore me out just by talking that fast.

My first hour went quickly and before I knew it, I was struggling to put my backpack on, to get balance on my crutches and find my way to my classrooms. I looked to my schedule and limped awkwardly into the hallway, holding up people who were trying to get into the class I was leaving. I looked at the schedule and deducted that my next class was in the adjacent hallway. I began to walk that direction before a deep voice behind me said, "You're going the wrong way."

I flinched from surprise, losing my balance. I rolled over to face the same guy that helped me get into the hall yesterday when my brother attacked my boyfriend. He helped me up and I handed him the schedule, half smiling.

"Sorry! Are you okay? Your class is over here. I can show you. I have all of your classes too." This guy was tall and handsome. I mean _really _tall and _really_ handsome. His dark skin and brown eyes did him quite a few favors and I started to blush.

I sighed in relief that I wouldn't get lost today. I smiled at him in thanks and he led me off to the next class. I got seated in my next class and the handsome helper-outer sat next to me. I took my notepad out of my backpack and began to scribble something to him.

**Thank you for showing me to class. I really appreciate it. Edward and my brother, Emmett, (the other guy acting like a caveman in the hall) are both suspended. Alice helped me this morning, but I didn't remember how to get here. My family thought adding crutches to the mix was a good idea. What's your name again?**

No prob. And it's Jacob. You can call me Jake tho. Well, _write_ me Jake ;)

**We've got a comedian on our hands...HAHAHA. *eyeroll***

Feisty. I like it. Haha. I can help you for the rest of the day if you want. I have all your classes, like I said. 

**That would be lovely. :) Tell me if I'm bothering you though. I don't want to annoy you. **

It's no trouble. And I also know how to make it to the office if you need to get your wheelchair. You seem to be a little out of breath. 

He looked up and smiled at me. I glared at him playfully and tried to calm my breathing.

**I deserve a break. I've been in that damn thing for a long time. And before that it was bed rest only, so I'm just glad I haven't passed out yet. **

Jacob smiled at me. Once class was over, he showed me to the remainder of my morning classes and I didn't have to worry about anything but my school work. We were finally out of my last morning class and on the way to lunch. Using all the energy I had to walk on top of having no breakfast, I was really tired.

Jacob and I rounded the last corner slowly to enter the lunch room. That would have been fine if someone else hadn't have been doing the same. The really gross Mike Newton guy, the one I lost the bet about, had fallen right on top of me. I tipped backwards, and landed on my lower back. As the rest of me fell the air was knocked out of me. I struggled to breath, but knew it was useless as the black spots in my peripheral vision grew.

_**(A/n: I know! Evil of me right...Rant about it in your review if you'd like. ;) )**_


	11. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10! Characters belong to Meyer!**_

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_Jacob and I rounded the last corner slowly to enter the lunch room. That would have been fine if someone else hadn't have been doing the same. The really gross Mike Newton guy, the one I lost the bet about, had fallen right on top of me. I tipped backwards, and landed on my butt. As the rest of me fell the air was knocked out of me. I struggled to breath, but knew it was useless as the black spots in my peripheral vision grew. _

After a few moments I regained conscienceness and opened my eyes. I could feel my ribs still being squished by the stupid Newton guy and I whined so he'd get the picture. He was lifted up from me so suddenly that the relief made me groan again. I rolled on my side and curled in a ball. Not only did my ribs ache, but my knee started to as well. It felt as if someone was trying to pull it out of socket again.

"Bella are you alright?" Rosalie sounded distant.

"Oh my God, Bella." Alice was closer.

I felt two different sets of hands on me and I assumed that it was the two girls and didn't flinch.

Alice sent Rose to get my wheelchair and asked Jacob to go to the office to call Carlisle and Emse.

Alice yelled at Mike for running into me and told him to go away. After that she tried to turn me over, but I resisted, knowing that I'd added a few new bruises to my collection. "Edward. Emmett."

"They'll come soon. I promise. I have to make sure you didn't rip up your stitches."

She pulled up the leg of my pants and ripped the tape off. She mumbled "Shit," and when I looked down again I saw a red soaked bandage. The rest of that time was a blur as I was taken to the nurse and then to the hospital to get another couple of MRIs and a CT scan. The MRI on my leg and ribs and the CT scan on my brain to check for damage. I remember Edward holding my hand through all my tests and Emmett getting mad when they made him leave so he could eat. I stayed in the hospital all night and when I was lucid enough to ask what happened that next morning, I was released to go with my family. I had no concussion or any brain injury. I jostled my ribs, but not badly enough to have to do surgery. I split my stitches, but otherwise no damage to my mostly metal knee. I was not to try the crutches again until Carlisle said to. Dammit.

I didn't go to school the next day, but I did try again Thursday. The rest of the week trudged on and it was finally Friday. Correction. It was finally my last class period on Friday. Jacob ditched his lab partner for me and had sat next to me to pass notes again. He was really a cool guy. He hadn't even asked much about the day I missed. The conversation was this:

So...How many stitches and how much brain damage?

**Didn't you hear? I'm now mentally retarded and can't read or write. And 52, but they only replaced 21 yesterday.**

Holy Shit Marie!

**My middle name's Marie! **

And that was the whole conversation. It was odd to have a friend who didn't want to press for all the answers. Or really, a friend that pretended to not want all the answers at least. After Biology finally let out, I let Jacob roll me out to the parking lot where I expected Alice to pick me up. Edward was there this time, and he rushed over to me. I got the biggest kiss of my life and then Edward dismissed Jacob in an assholey way. Yeah, I said it. Assholey. Look it up.

"Edward, be nice. Bye Jake. Thank you very much for helping me this week. I'll see you Monday." I smiled at him and he raised his eyebrows.

Jacob stood there stunned, surprised because the only other time he'd heard me speak was when I'd yelled on Monday.

"N-no problem. See ya' later Bells." Jake smiled shyly and walked to his truck and got in.

"I don't like him." Edward cut right to the chase.

I frowned, "I do. He helped me quite a bit. And also saved your ass from my brother."

"Eh...Well. I still don't like him." Edward picked me up and put me in the car and we drove home.

When we got home, we went inside and did our practice on the crutches. I worked on getting more steady on them. After about an hour Edward began to walk to the beginning of the stairs.

"Follow me up the stairs and I'll make it worth your while..." Edwards sensual voice rocked down to my core. I couldn't get up the stairs fast enough.

Once I reached the top of the stairs, not without a few stumbles, I was pulled into Edward's tight embrace. Edward kissed me hard and it was just like the romantic movies when we stumbled into his room and onto his bed. I was hot and sweaty from the workout that walking was and this was exaserbating that problem.

His hands were everywhere at once and all I could do was whine. Edward eventually lifted me up and into the middle of the bed, not detatching his lips from mine. My arms came around his back and rubbed all the way down. Our bodies were pressed together in a tight embrace and we slowly began moving together sensually. The pleasure I felt to my core as he rubbed his hardened member against my center was staggering.

His hand moved down my side, gently sliding down until he came to my calf. When he pulled my calf up and wrapped my leg around him I bit his bottom lip and moaned in desire.

He sighed against my lips and pulled away from our embrace, "I love you. Very much."

"I love you too Edward. Nothing will change that."

_**(A/n: The real plot will start next chapter :) Please review!)**_


	12. Chapter 11

_**(A/n: Hey plot plot plot time!) **_

_**Characters belong to Meyer!**_

Months went by and it began to get colder. I had been practicing with crutches again and I was getting around on them pretty well lately. I had confidence that Edward could help me through it. I got dressed and hobbled into the kitchen using the crutches. I saw no one on my way, but I went around my normal routine anyway, fixing my normal toast and butter. As I hobbled into the living room I saw the whole family. I mean the _whole_ family. Carlisle and Esme were sitting in the living room with my brother who looked worried.

"Hello everyone." I sat and smiled, starting to munch on my toast.

"Hey, Bella." Emmett was the only one who answered me and he looked a little off.

"Okay. What's wrong?" I wasn't walking into an intervention or anything was I?

Emmett spoke up, "The police officially arrested him today. They want us to testify against him in court in a few months. I told them I would, but that you were too distraught. If you want to we can set it up, but the lawyer that Carlisle's friends with said that it wasn't necessary. Carlisle can testify that you were...y'know—"

"Raped?" I cut in harshly

"Yeah." Emmett's voice was exhausted, "and about your other injuries and mine too. I can testify about finding you and getting out."

Carlisle cut across Emmett, "Emmett you can't say it like that. Bella needs to know the truth. Our lawyer did say that it wasn't necessary, but he also said that it would be a major advantage to have you testify. We have to warn you about the fact the attorney James will be assign—"

"Don't say that name." My voice was shaky, but insistent.

"You'll have to get used to it Bella. It will be said in court and you can't afford to be afraid of it or lash out when you hear it. His name is James and he will be going away for a long, long time. You can help put him away so he can't do it to any other girls like you. The lawyer he will be assigned will try to upset you and do anything he can to get James freed." Carlisle was trying to help, but I really didn't want to hear it. I just turned my head and fought back tears. Edward came over to me and put me on his lap, kissing the side of my face lightly. I turned and buried my face in his neck and let my toast get cold.

Silence overtook the room.

Emmett broke the silence by saying, "We're going to be late for school."

Edward picked me up and carried me and my backpack all the way to the car. We finally made the silent car ride all the way to school before hopping out. Emmett helped me out of the car and hugged me close to him as he whispered, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I promise I'll protect you."

"I love you, Emmy." I replied my thanks.

As I hobbled into first hour and sat down, I felt sick to my stomach. It went as normal and we walked on to second hour. I knew my second hour teacher would be absent today because he wasn't sitting a his desk like normal. The bell rang and the substitute came in. He was rather large and didn't seem very nice as he threw a stack of papers on a kid's desk and said, "Pass them out."

The class sat silently and did the worksheet. When I was finished, I pulled out my notepad and began to write to Edward.

**Hey. I don't feel good. Do you think you could get my wheelchair out of the car? I'm not up to it today.**

_Is this about this morning? Because Emmett's right. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Testifying is completely your decision. _

**It's a little about that. I don't know. I feel like it's the right thing to do, but I don't think I'm strong enough to do it. If I get nervous my throat will close up and I won't be able to talk. **

_It's okay. You'll do a deposition first which will be a recording. No one besides you and the lawyer and Emmett will be there. The trial won't be for months. The other lawyer will talk to you for the deposition, but Emmett can be there next to you and you'll have nothing to be afraid of. _

**I don't kno—**

Suddenly the paper was snatched from beneath my hands and I squeaked. The substitute looked angry. The anger in his eyes reminded me of the mirth in _his_ eyes. _My _eyes went wide and my jaw clamped shut.

"What are you doing?" Edward's voice sounded harsh.

"What are _you_ doing little boy?" The substitute sneered, "I am in charge of this class and you were passing notes."

"That's how she _talks,_ sir. You scared her." Edwards anger was barley contained.

"This is silent time. She doesn't need to talk." The substitute was curt and dismissed Edward.

"All she was doing was asking a question! Give me the notepad and I'll put it in her bag and you won't see it again today." Edward bargained with him.

"No. I think I'll keep this since you were so rude."

Edward sighed and threw himself back in the desk. "I'm sorry, darling."

I shrugged and put my head on the desk. We still had thirty minutes of class left when the substitute called our attention, "Okay! Now we're going to correct our answers. Half of you on this side and half on that side." The substitute pointed to either side of the room and everyone got up, splitting themselves evenly. Edward helped me up and walked with me to one side of the room, holding my paper for me. Across the room I saw Jake and he was smiling at me. I blushed and smiled back.

"I've divided the board into two sections and one person from each group will come up and write the problem on the board. Both teams will solve the problem. Which ever team circles their answer more quickly gets a point. If the answer is incorrect the team cannot get a point. The most points at the end of the game wins each team member 20 points extra-credit. You must show ALL of your work, but you do not have to justify your answers in writing."

The class played the game and Edward sat me on a desk so I could rest and he even won our team a point. Near the end of the class our teams were tied and I was the only one who hadn't gone. Edward helped me stand and I limped over to the board. I wrote the last problem on the board. I looked over to see my opponent and immediately smiled realizing it was Jacob.

"Go!" The substitute commenced the game and I answered it quickly.

I circled my answer and looked over at Jake as he was doing the same. When she saw we had different answers, the substitute asked, "Who's right?"

I raised my hand and the class laughed. I left my crutches on the side of the board and limped over to correct Jake's answer. When I was done I smiled up and Jacob who mock glared before giving me a congratulatory hug, picking me up off the ground. "Good job, Bells." Jake said.

I turned back around to see Edward picking up my crutches as the bell rang.

The substitute handed my notepad back to Edward with a glare and then turned to me and said "Great job today, dear." With a smile. It was more than a little creepy.

"I'm going to go get your wheelchair from the car. Do you think you can find our next class?" Edward's sultry voice whispered in my ear.

My eloquent "Huh?" sounded really stupid.

"Your wheelchair, darling?" Edward's voice held laughter.

"I can show her there." And Jake came to the rescue. "I'll tell the teacher where you are too."

"Thanks." Edward kissed me then left.

Jake and I walked to class together and sat down. I was glad for the moment to talk to Jake.

The bell rang and Edward walked in minutes later. The teacher looked at him expectantly, "I was getting Bella's wheelchair."

"I regret to inform you, Mr. Cullen, that if I was not notified before the bell, your tardy is inexcusable." The strict old lady informed him of the rule.

"I knew that. Jacob was supposed to tell you." Edward turned to glare at Jake.

Jacob smiled and replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

I looked at the floor. My voice shook slightly as I spoke softly to the teacher, "He was supposed to tell you, ma'am. It was my fault for not reminding him." Edward beamed with pride that I stood up for him. I still didn't make eye contact, but it was better.

"Thank you, love." Edward sat on my right and the class began, no tardy slip in sight.

Jacob tried to talk to me again after class but I stopped him and began talking, "It's not okay Jacob. That was very rude and you don't realize that you would have given us both detention if you let Edward get that tardy. I can't drive myself home."

"I'm sorr-"

I cut him off, "No. It's not okay. You put me in an uncomfortable position and I hated it. I don't like to talk to people that I don't know well. Leave me alone."

Edward chuckled and pushed me through the door in my wheelchair all the way to lunch.

Lunch went well but Biology, however, didn't follow suit. I started to feel a little sick and told Edward I had to use the restroom. When he asked Mr. Banner if he could take me to the restroom he laughed and told him to pick a girl to take me. A girl with black hair in the front row volunteered and Edward gave my notepad and a pen to the girl and handed me my crutches instead of setting me in the wheelchair. I moved quickly out of the room and the girl followed. I barely made it to the bathroom before I vomited.

"Oh! Are you okay Bella? Oh God. Should I get your brother or Alice?" She—Angela I think—was opening my notebook and handing it to me.

I got up and wiped my mouth, moving to the sink. "No! No, it's okay." I paused to rinse my mouth out, "It was just something I ate. I've been feeling sick since lunch." I sat against the wall trying to stop the sick feeling in my stomach.

"Oh. Okay. I guess you don't need this journal." Angela smiled and sat next to me on the floor.

"I'm needing it less and less these days." I said quietly. I don't know why I was being so generous with my voice. I supposed I had to practice for court anyway. I might as well work on being more assertive.

"I think that's a good thing. I'd be sick of having to write out my conversations." Angela didn't ask why I didn't talk despite the apparent urge and I really appreciated that. She was unusually sweet.

"My twin brother talks enough for both of us. I didn't really talk much before all this anyway."

Instead of asking about "All this" she said, "I have two younger brothers that are twins. They're eight and inseparable."

"I remember when Emmy and I were like that. I really miss it sometimes, especially now that our parents are gone. Emmett and I were attached at the hip until he started sports. I started to cook with my mom while my dad went to his practices. I cried at his first few games when I couldn't sit next to him. My mom told me that we could sit and cheer for him though so I became the biggest fan. I suppose it was easier for us to develop our own identities because we were fraternal and different sexes. Are your brothers identical?"

"They are. But one of them has a freckle on his nose so they look completely different." We shared a laugh at the sarcastic comment.

We eventually decided that we should head back to class, but not before exchanging phone numbers. I exchanged Edward's number, explaining my lack of phone.

I felt almost happy as I went back to class. I felt relief, really. Talking a little about my parents in such a calm fashion seemed to be a good thing. I wanted to make Angela a friend. She brought calm to me, I realized as I sat down. She didn't push and she wasn't prying and that was enough to bring tears to my eyes. I didn't know what was wrong with me today, but I guess the bug I had was making me tired.

Edward and I finished the day together and eventually went home. I texted Angela to make sure she had Edward's number right and kept texting for a few minutes after that until I was called to dinner. I sat next to my brother at the table and waited. When Esme finally brought the food to the table, my stomach rolled and I ran to the bathroom, throwing up as soon as I got there. I laid against the tile of the bath tub and felt Emmy scoop me up, grabbing the trash can and heading to my room. He sat me on the bed and put my trash can on the floor then joined me on the bed. He gathered me up into his lap and I cuddled with him until Edward brought in some soup and crackers. I munched on the crackers until my stomach was up to soup. After a while I started feeling better and I went to bed without Edward.

I woke up hugging my pillow, feeling light headed and woozy again. I ate some of the crackers left over and felt a little better. I went back to sleep, waiting for someone to come and wake me back up. The second time I woke, I knew it was way later than it should be. I should have known that they wouldn't get me up because I was sick.

I got up and fixed myself some cheese and crackers, getting the soft cheese from the fridge and spreading it on my plate. I started to feel better by the time lunch rolled around and I had a turkey sandwich from the fridge like I did every day, my stomach ache coming back full force.

After bring sick a few more times I decided to lay on the floor in the bathroom until Edward found me. He eventually did pick me up off the floor and put me in bed, telling Esme to make a doctors appointment on his way to my room.

I went to sleep and woke back up several times throughout the night. When I woke up the final time Edward was shaking me lightly, helping me bundle up and putting me into the car to go to the doctor apparently. They wanted to nip this flu in the bud apparently. I was set in my wheelchair and rolled into the hospital where Carlisle's colleague tested me for every possible sickness under the moon. Emmett, Carlisle and Esme went into the exam room with me while the rest of my family waited outside.

When the doctor came back in his face was stoney. "May I speak with you outside, Carlisle, Esme?"

"Whatever you have to say you can say to me. I'm old enough to handle whatever it is. I also don't care if my brother hears." My voice was soft, but I was tired of waiting and needed to hear what they found.

"Well, Ms. Swan, I tested you for everything I could think of and rushed your tests through an already backed up lab. One of those tests was for pregnancy and it came back positive."

_**(A/n: The Cliffhanger was because I got like negative 10 reviews...Come on. I love your feedback! By the way there's this awesome author called Maybethereshope and everyone should read her story Misery Loves Glamour! [It's a Malec fic so if you haven't read City of Glass by Cassandra Clare do so immediately and then read this story])**_


	13. Chapter 12

_**(A/n: Lol. Like the cliffhanger on the last chapter?)**_

_**Disclaimer: It all belongs to Meyer!**_

* * *

"_Well, Ms. Swan, I tested you for everything I could think of and rushed your tests through an already backed up lab. One of those tests was for pregnancy and it came back positive."_

The tension in the room was palpable. "Oh my God." Slipped from my lips before I started to cry. "He...sick...oh my _God_." Were the only words I could get out before Emmett scooped me off the medical bed and put his arms around me.

"There was a pregnancy test in the rape kit, but it came back negative. I can't believe I didn't do a follow up." Carlisle's voice sounded heart broken. "I'm so sorry, Bella."

"It's not your fault. It's _his._" My voice was dead.

"I was just trying to let you have a normal life and didn't even consider it a possibility." Carlisle was full of regret, "I can't believe that I didn't check for this. I let the fact that you were doing better get in the way of being your doctor."

"It's okay Carlisle. It's not your fault. It is what it is and there's no way to change it. You have been an amazing parent these past few months." Emmett's voice comforted Carlisle little, but he smiled anyway and asked the doctor to do an ultrasound.

When I heard the heartbeat of the baby I let the tears out again.

"Well it looks like the baby is developing well. You have many options and this pamphlet can help explain all of them."

I skimmed it quickly and nodded at him. They turned the ultrasound machine off and eventually put me back in my wheelchair, explaining that since I had been so weak that I had to be on my feet less and eat even healthier.

Being pregnant was a shock that I hadn't been ready for. I mean, there was a little human growing inside of me. I thought about killing myself for a while, just to not have to go through it all. I didn't want this child. It hadn't been my decision to have sex and I didn't want the responsibility that the child brought with it, but I realized I could no more kill this child than I could kill Emmett. I didn't love it, but it was still a person and I knew, despite never being religious, that abortion was the wrong choice for me.

I decided that I would give it up for adoption. I didn't even really care who got the child so long as it was away from me. It didn't deserve to die, but I didn't love it or want it. I thought about how sad that was. Being in the womb of a woman who was repulsed by your very creation.

It was also circumstantial that they could prove James guilty in a court of law. The very existence of this child showed he had raped me, speaking that I wasn't consenting or even at the legal age of consent. He would go to jail if this child were tested and proven to be related to him.

Edward was supportive of my decision when I told him about my plans to give it up for adoption. He agreed that the child shouldn't be punished for the sins of his father. Edward stood as a father figure ought to while I suffered through my first week of knowing I was pregnant, rushing me to the bathroom when I became sick, and feeding me when my stomach could hold the food.

The doctors said the baby was developing as a 12 week old should. I returned the next Friday for another ultrasound and the one after that. Suddenly I was in the second trimester of pregnancy and back for my 14 week visit to the doctor. I had been even more sick lately, barely eating and tossing up what I did manage to eat. Carlisle's concern showed outwardly, pressed on by guilt of not having me tested or treated. This week the baby's heartbeat was too soft to find and I knew then that it would die before I could deliver it. My body wasn't up for the stress of a pregnancy or at least that's what we thought as 15 weeks came with no sign of growth or life from the child inside me.

I got home from the appointment feeling sicker and sicker by the minute. The pains in my sides wouldn't go away and as I sat on the couch I yelled for Emmett. My stomach pains were intense and I cried out. "Help me to the bathroom Emmett. Please help. Help!"

Emmett ran me to the bathroom and, God bless him, stayed near, not looking as I sat on the toilet. I pushed and pushed, realizing what was about to happen. I felt a release from inside me and began sobbing again, knowing what laid in the toilet.

"Carlisle come in here, now!" Emmett yelled from the bathroom and Esme and Emmett watched sadly as Carlisle gathered the child and wrapped him in a towel, making sure to cut the umbilical cord it was attached to from inside me with a scalpel he had in a sterilized package from the doctor's kit.

I don't really remember the ride to the ER, but all I can remember is the silence in the car as Emmett held my feet and Edward held my torso. I begged Edward at some point, "Just let me die. I'm half way there already."

All I remember was, "You're too perfect to be taken from this world. You love and are loved. _I_ love you Bella." I also remember not being coherent enough to say "I love you" in return.

When I woke up in the hospital bed I saw the same jade green walls and knew that I was awake once more. I sat up and opened my eyes. This time Emmett was there, but accompanying him was my new family. Edward, Alice, Esme and Carlisle were there this time as I spoke, "Where am I?"

"Sacred Heart Hospital. You were severely dehydrated. We have you on fluids and you can come home now that you're awake."

I placed a hand on my stomach, "And the baby?"

"You had a miscarriage, Bella. Surely you remember." Emmett's voice tried to comfort me.

"Yes. I remember. All of it. Up to riding here in the car." My voice was soft. The baby was gone. I didn't have to worry about what to do with it anymore. I felt a little purposeless and sad, but I assumed it was just the hormones and such.

"You contracted a disease called Listeria. You'll be on antibiotics for a few weeks, but you will be healthy again." Carlisle smiled sadly.

My family stood by my side as I rolled out of the hospital. I went home and simply laid in bed. Edward was no less attentive to me than when I had been carrying the baby. In a few weeks I was strong enough to get out of bed and into my wheelchair again for more then bathroom breaks. After having my routine medicine that morning for the disease that killed the baby, I got into my wheelchair and Edward rolled me into the front room.

**I want to get out of here. Out of the house.**

I wrote in my notepad. Edward had been going to school, but I had skipped, falling behind in my studies. My teachers were understanding over e-mail and I assumed they would help me get back on my feet when I came back to school for the first time. Whenever I was ready, I could go back to school and that day was Monday, tomorrow, to be exact. I had a whole Sunday to mentally prepared. I hadn't spoken yet though. I wasn't ready to talk.

**Can we go outside?**

I felt the need to look at something other than the walls of the house. "Sure. Anything Bella." Edward smiled down at me sadly.

After Edward bundled me up, we strolled outside and I felt the sunlight caress my face for the first time in three weeks. I looked out across the lawn and saw trees and grass and a creek beyond the property line. I focused in on one tree and wrote Edward that I wanted to go sit under it. It was a big tree with big roots in the ground poking up and making the ground I rolled over uneven. I looked up and saw the trunk and nearly cried when I saw it had been cut away to form a perfect knot right in the middle of the trunk. This tree was just like me. It was dirty and uneven and was empty inside.

"Why this tree?" Edward's question rang in my ears for a long moment before I recognized the need to answer.

**It is just like me. It is bumpy at the base, dirty, and hollow.**

"It isn't hollow. There's just a small knot-hole where we cut a branch back."

**A piece of me has been taken too. I hate the life I live and the situations life has presented me. I want to run and hide and cower and I have never been THAT person. That person who doesn't want to live.**

"We desire you to live. We love how you are so strong despite your hardships. Not very many people go through what you've been through. We are so proud of you." Edward's voice was sincere. It sounded like he meant every word he said.

**I want to start over.**

"Pick an empty spot in the yard." Edward urged.

I pointed across the yard and Edward rolled me in that direction. I came to a spot far away from the tree that had struck our sad conversation and finally told Edward to stop. I pointed my finger at a random piece of ground and Edward began to walk away. Edward disappeared for a moment into the garage. Just when I was going to start being upset and roll toward the house Edward reappeared shovel in hand. "Show me again" He instructed.

I pointed once more and he got to work. He dug and dug until there was a sizable hole in the ground. After he was done digging he looked up at me, all cute and dirty and I gave him an odd look. "We're going to put a tree in that hole Belly-bean."

In his dirty jeans and all he rolled me over to his car and we headed to Marcum's Nursery. I rolled down every row and finally chose a magnolia sapling. The worker gave us instructions on how to plant it and how to care for it. On a table next to the check out clerk was a beautifully decorated assortment of watering cans. My wheelchair was too short to see all of them, but the ones on the front row looked beautiful. Edward caught me glimpsing at them and smiled. He asked the clerk how much the cans were and the clerk gave him an answer. Edward spoke to me, "Do you want a watering can? You can take care of your tree with it."

I nodded and craned my neck futilely to see them all.

"Stand up if you can't see them." Edward instructed. I frowned at him and shook my head. "Come on Belly-button. You can do it." Edward egged me on so I finally put the locks on my wheelchair and pushed my body up. I shakily stood and leaned on the table for support, making sure not to use too much weight and tip it. I swayed, but held strong as I looked for the perfect can. I chose one and handed it to Edward, sitting back in my wheelchair on my own. Edward beamed with pride and the clerk smiled as he checked us out.

We put the tree in the trunk of the Volvo and drove home, going straight back to our hole to plant it. Edward carried the tree first and then came to help me try to roll (unsuccessfully) across the damp grass. Edward put the tree in the hole and then filled the dirt in, making sure not to bury it too deep or too shallow.

Once Edward was done and thoroughly muddy he looked up at me and smiled. "There's your new start Bella. After school everyday we'll come out and water it. It'll grow into something brand new. Just like you."

**Thank You.**

That was all I could get on the paper before tears blurred my eyes. Edward picked me up and held me for a moment and then lowered me back down into my wheelchair to go get Esme and show her what we'd done.

Esme walked out of the house and gasped. She and Edward walked out to the sapling. "Hello Bella. Nice to see you out and about. You've been very busy today."

I smiled up and Esme smiled back, "This is beautiful. I can't wait until it's big and we can bring the blossoms in. They can permeate through a whole house."

The rest of that day was spent lazing around the front room and running fingers through Edward's shower dampened hair.


End file.
